Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Becoming Something Different
The Authors Fairbanks, Crooks, and Ariail believe that there were certain artifacts in Esme's life that she had used in a positive way to do her best in school. They believe that more so than not the school had failed to provide her with the necessary tools she needed to evolve as a student. At the same time Esme did have a strong desire to learn and become better at it. This piece goes together with Aria that we had read earlier this semester about ELLs and how much different they are taught. Esme was kept in remedial classes that she started with, and also had all her honors classes changed to regular ones. I think you could make an argument that ELL do not get the proper type of treatment in the school system because they are treated like a remedial student rather than someone who doesn't know the language. A better system needs to be devised so that the school does not hamper the abilities of the student. Esme wanted to be a good student and probably would have benefitted much more off of a specialized program to get her speaking and understanding more fluently. Since there is a high number of students throughout the United States that are learning English there should be a different set up for these students. Such a high number of kids cannot be taught the wrong way.
http://www.nea.org/home/13598.htm
Monday, October 20, 2014
Allen At Al Speaking the Unspeakable
Reflection
Personally I think that someone shouldn't have to be scared to be open about their sexuality. Unfortunately the LGBT community is looked upon by heterosexuals as strange and are ostracized as soon as the information is revealed. That is just speaking on a general basis. There are always those who are open to other peoples beliefs and way of life. People have become much more understanding in the last few years, which is a good thing. But in general the people in the LGBT community are still looked at as different. I think that a big reason for that is that there isn't so much awareness about this subject at a younger age.
It seems to be that a lot of what we learn as a younger child sticks with us throughout of life. I definitely know that when I was smaller I wasn't exposed to anything LGBT. I do remember my first time hearing about it when I took a trip to P-town with my parents. There was a guy riding around on a bike in a tutu promoting the play that he was in. I thought it strange because I hadn't seen anything like it before. I asked my parents what that was and they simply explained that P-town was known for being a gay community. They didn't seem to pay any mind to it so neither did I.
Parents are always going to be the main source of what shapes a young individuals opinions. They're the only opinionated source you're exposed to when you're smaller. Luckily for me my parents were open to this kind of thing and I've never been exposed to an opposition of the gay community. I didn't know that there were people that were against it until the news was saturated with gay marriage legalization.
LGBT is something that should be taught to children. If it is taught to children in the right way that it's simply just something different and not something to hate, those students would find it odd that there are people who hate the gay community. My only concern as in this article is with parents. Naturally there will always be parents who don't want their child exposed to such a topic. But there doesn't have to be an overload of information either. They can simply be told that they exist and that its a part of our society.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/14/california.lgbt.education/
Personally I think that someone shouldn't have to be scared to be open about their sexuality. Unfortunately the LGBT community is looked upon by heterosexuals as strange and are ostracized as soon as the information is revealed. That is just speaking on a general basis. There are always those who are open to other peoples beliefs and way of life. People have become much more understanding in the last few years, which is a good thing. But in general the people in the LGBT community are still looked at as different. I think that a big reason for that is that there isn't so much awareness about this subject at a younger age.
It seems to be that a lot of what we learn as a younger child sticks with us throughout of life. I definitely know that when I was smaller I wasn't exposed to anything LGBT. I do remember my first time hearing about it when I took a trip to P-town with my parents. There was a guy riding around on a bike in a tutu promoting the play that he was in. I thought it strange because I hadn't seen anything like it before. I asked my parents what that was and they simply explained that P-town was known for being a gay community. They didn't seem to pay any mind to it so neither did I.
Parents are always going to be the main source of what shapes a young individuals opinions. They're the only opinionated source you're exposed to when you're smaller. Luckily for me my parents were open to this kind of thing and I've never been exposed to an opposition of the gay community. I didn't know that there were people that were against it until the news was saturated with gay marriage legalization.
LGBT is something that should be taught to children. If it is taught to children in the right way that it's simply just something different and not something to hate, those students would find it odd that there are people who hate the gay community. My only concern as in this article is with parents. Naturally there will always be parents who don't want their child exposed to such a topic. But there doesn't have to be an overload of information either. They can simply be told that they exist and that its a part of our society.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/14/california.lgbt.education/
Aria By Richard Rodriguez
Quotes
"Nervously, I'd arrive at the grocery to hear there the sounds of the gringo-foreign to me-reminding me that in this world so big, I was a foreigner."
In this quote Rodriquez is using his own view to show how a new language made him feel. Where the sounds of the unfamiliar language sound different to him, in the area of the world that he was living in, that language was actually very familiar. Instead of english being strange it is he who is strange. From the reading Rodriguez believes that children should be surrounded by the new language so that they can adjust and become a part of that society. The learner would be able to advance more efficiently with their learning with a stronger understanding of the language. For example understanding more of what is being said in lessons at school and in turn getting a better grasp of the material faster.
"That day, I moved very far from the disadvantaged child I had been only days earlier."
Rodriguez comments on the first day of school that he had spoke aloud in the classroom. It was a big day because the distance that he had felt in the society of english speaking people had been greatly reduced. His parents insisting to him that he practice english more at home and his tutoring in school assimilated him into his new home. His point in mentioning this is that if he didn't have that added motivation who knows how long it would have been until he made that huge step in school.
"By contrast, my father seemed reconciled to the new quiet. Though his english improved somewhat, he retired into silence
While the household was starting to convert over to english as the main language spoken in the house Rodriguez's father was having trouble. His father's inability to speak with everybody else in english had made it so he was like the children in school that didn't know the language. He was afraid to speak and therefore he remembers his father as a very silent man. Without a mid to advanced understanding of english his father couldn't progress and become a part of the foreign society that he had moved into.
Different languages can have an effect on people that trigger emotion. Spanish was always a symbol for love and family whereas english was this crude and uncomfortable thing. Even though this transition is tough and takes a lot of work Rodriguez believes that in order to become a part of the mass society that one is in they must adapt and become like others in that society, being able to communicate with others for one. While he believes this to be true he also believes that heritage is an important thing in someone's life and should not be forgotten. Like he mentions about the time he spent with his grandmother. He couldn't speak spanish as fluently anymore and his grandmother teased him, he was no less a part of the family and has good memories with her before she passed away.
http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/executive-function-disorders/bilingualism-advantage-benefit
"Nervously, I'd arrive at the grocery to hear there the sounds of the gringo-foreign to me-reminding me that in this world so big, I was a foreigner."
In this quote Rodriquez is using his own view to show how a new language made him feel. Where the sounds of the unfamiliar language sound different to him, in the area of the world that he was living in, that language was actually very familiar. Instead of english being strange it is he who is strange. From the reading Rodriguez believes that children should be surrounded by the new language so that they can adjust and become a part of that society. The learner would be able to advance more efficiently with their learning with a stronger understanding of the language. For example understanding more of what is being said in lessons at school and in turn getting a better grasp of the material faster.
"That day, I moved very far from the disadvantaged child I had been only days earlier."
Rodriguez comments on the first day of school that he had spoke aloud in the classroom. It was a big day because the distance that he had felt in the society of english speaking people had been greatly reduced. His parents insisting to him that he practice english more at home and his tutoring in school assimilated him into his new home. His point in mentioning this is that if he didn't have that added motivation who knows how long it would have been until he made that huge step in school.
"By contrast, my father seemed reconciled to the new quiet. Though his english improved somewhat, he retired into silence
While the household was starting to convert over to english as the main language spoken in the house Rodriguez's father was having trouble. His father's inability to speak with everybody else in english had made it so he was like the children in school that didn't know the language. He was afraid to speak and therefore he remembers his father as a very silent man. Without a mid to advanced understanding of english his father couldn't progress and become a part of the foreign society that he had moved into.
Different languages can have an effect on people that trigger emotion. Spanish was always a symbol for love and family whereas english was this crude and uncomfortable thing. Even though this transition is tough and takes a lot of work Rodriguez believes that in order to become a part of the mass society that one is in they must adapt and become like others in that society, being able to communicate with others for one. While he believes this to be true he also believes that heritage is an important thing in someone's life and should not be forgotten. Like he mentions about the time he spent with his grandmother. He couldn't speak spanish as fluently anymore and his grandmother teased him, he was no less a part of the family and has good memories with her before she passed away.
http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/executive-function-disorders/bilingualism-advantage-benefit
Sunday, October 5, 2014
The Silenced Dialogue
Connections
In The Silenced Dialogue by Lisa Delpit power in a classroom has to be demonstrated differently with different classrooms in order for the teacher to retain power. Different upbringings in the household during childhood create differing responses to how power is understood. One method of keeping order in a class may be effective in some classes, yet in others it has no effect. In middle school I saw this firsthand. There would be some classes I had were a simple reminder to do our work was all it took to bring everyone back in line. In other classes the only way that the class could get settled down would be when the teacher got loud and yelled. It seems like the teacher has to get a good idea of how to control the class very quickly. Another teacher I had once used a relaxed method at the start of the year. He continued to use this method for quite a while with no good results. When he finally changed and tried to take charge more aggressively none of the kids took him seriously. What was even worse was when he told students to go up to the office for their misconduct they refused to and ultimately the power in the classroom was in the hands of the students who sought to abuse it. A replacement teacher was sent in to relieve our current teacher before the Christmas break.
The question is how does a teacher efficiently take control of power. As demonstrated my old teacher did not take control soon enough and even when he did try too it was too late and there was no way off taking it back. Delpit describes the differences that race has on what methods to use to keep power in the class. Again, how can a teacher make the call of how to teach without racially profiling or being unfair to students in the class.http://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=4074
In The Silenced Dialogue by Lisa Delpit power in a classroom has to be demonstrated differently with different classrooms in order for the teacher to retain power. Different upbringings in the household during childhood create differing responses to how power is understood. One method of keeping order in a class may be effective in some classes, yet in others it has no effect. In middle school I saw this firsthand. There would be some classes I had were a simple reminder to do our work was all it took to bring everyone back in line. In other classes the only way that the class could get settled down would be when the teacher got loud and yelled. It seems like the teacher has to get a good idea of how to control the class very quickly. Another teacher I had once used a relaxed method at the start of the year. He continued to use this method for quite a while with no good results. When he finally changed and tried to take charge more aggressively none of the kids took him seriously. What was even worse was when he told students to go up to the office for their misconduct they refused to and ultimately the power in the classroom was in the hands of the students who sought to abuse it. A replacement teacher was sent in to relieve our current teacher before the Christmas break.
The question is how does a teacher efficiently take control of power. As demonstrated my old teacher did not take control soon enough and even when he did try too it was too late and there was no way off taking it back. Delpit describes the differences that race has on what methods to use to keep power in the class. Again, how can a teacher make the call of how to teach without racially profiling or being unfair to students in the class.http://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=4074
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Argument
Jonathan Kozol, Amazing Grace
The author Jonathan Kozol argues that there is a whole different kind of society living among us in New York City. That population involves the poor and destitute that inhabit the city. Kozol demonstrates that it is a very different way of living when people are poor in New York City. The problem is that there is that the poor have been relocated to places like the Bronx and this way of life forms a culture that these people are used to. In Amazing Grace by Kozol, he follows a boy named Cliffie around for a while, walking the different streets. Throughout their walk Kozol sees several sights. When the two walk down Jackson Avenue he sees the prostitutes that occupy the corners, the pile of trash that strangers have dumped, and the waste incinerator. All these things Cliffie, a seven year old boy, understands as normal.
He has a very different view of life than other kids who grow up in middle class communities. Kozol includes details about how Cliffie acts and responds to some questions and ideas. When the reader experiences Cliffie's outlook on certain topics like death a very clear difference can be identified between him and a child that has not had to struggle with poverty. The child looks to be nowhere near close to a teenager and yet the seriousness in his voice as he talks about drug abuse and how he has witnessed murders resembles that of a much older man. The slums force these kids to be grown up and robs them of their childhood.
Comments
Kozol clearly demonstrates the differences between what kids in the Bronx have to deal with and how it makes them different. Negative experiences can change anyone, children more so than others. When a child is growing up knowing nothing but how to stay alive in the place that they live, the idea of school is not going to be as important as where the next meal is coming from or if they will stay warm during the night. There are also problems with the support that they need. There are frequent problems with the food program. Some legitimate people who need it cannot get it, and others who have deceased have family members cashing in on the government's mistake. The point is, how are children supposed to make it to school and do well while the community that they live in continuously keeps their attention focused on survival.
Jonathan Kozol, Amazing Grace
The author Jonathan Kozol argues that there is a whole different kind of society living among us in New York City. That population involves the poor and destitute that inhabit the city. Kozol demonstrates that it is a very different way of living when people are poor in New York City. The problem is that there is that the poor have been relocated to places like the Bronx and this way of life forms a culture that these people are used to. In Amazing Grace by Kozol, he follows a boy named Cliffie around for a while, walking the different streets. Throughout their walk Kozol sees several sights. When the two walk down Jackson Avenue he sees the prostitutes that occupy the corners, the pile of trash that strangers have dumped, and the waste incinerator. All these things Cliffie, a seven year old boy, understands as normal.
He has a very different view of life than other kids who grow up in middle class communities. Kozol includes details about how Cliffie acts and responds to some questions and ideas. When the reader experiences Cliffie's outlook on certain topics like death a very clear difference can be identified between him and a child that has not had to struggle with poverty. The child looks to be nowhere near close to a teenager and yet the seriousness in his voice as he talks about drug abuse and how he has witnessed murders resembles that of a much older man. The slums force these kids to be grown up and robs them of their childhood.
Comments
Kozol clearly demonstrates the differences between what kids in the Bronx have to deal with and how it makes them different. Negative experiences can change anyone, children more so than others. When a child is growing up knowing nothing but how to stay alive in the place that they live, the idea of school is not going to be as important as where the next meal is coming from or if they will stay warm during the night. There are also problems with the support that they need. There are frequent problems with the food program. Some legitimate people who need it cannot get it, and others who have deceased have family members cashing in on the government's mistake. The point is, how are children supposed to make it to school and do well while the community that they live in continuously keeps their attention focused on survival.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Intro
Hey everyone my name is Sean Raudonaitis and I am a full time student at Rhode Island College. I'm a first time blogger so I'm excited to see how this will go. This is my fourth year going to RIC and I've had some good times here. I'm a commuter living in Westport, Massachusetts and I've slowly gotten used to the drive. When I'm not in school I'm either working at my local supermarket or playing tennis. Tennis is my favorite sport and I even play for our team here at RIC. I'm hoping to have a good semester and also hoping that the bad winter weather isn't that harsh this year. That walk from the commuter lot to the quad in the cold and the wind is just brutal.
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