Talking Points #10 "Shor"

Hyperlinks:

      The author raises the fact about education and how it does so much relate to politics. Also, how it is just like the real world and there are different things you need to do to survive in the real world, and to realize the politics that take forth everyday. The first major issue she raises is participation. There are different ways to get students to participate, and it is a major role in the schooling society. For a student to achieve they should be active sometimes participate in either the discussion, or the involvement with the teacher or other students. If there are problems in getting the student to participate, there are many different ways. In this article it gives different sitautions to use in order to get a student to participate. It is a good way to get the students to interact. Participation allows for the students to maybe get a different look and view on things, if he/she doesnt understand. It also allows the teacher to know if the students do understand as well. Here is also a video of whole brain teaching which is a method used to teacher and allows for participation.
        The author expalins many different methods of teaching in this article. She explains different ways to get through to different students. One method that I feel all teacher should use that will work is teachers learning from student learning. This will allow for the students maybe teach the teacher something that he/she does not know. Whehter they do it indivually, or as a class, there is always something the students could teach the teacher. It will maybe improve her teaching habits. Or, by using different methods, this will allow for the teacher to learn by the way the students react to it, if it was a positive or negative style of teaching. A teacher with different methods may be the one that is able to get through to her students. Teaching in a social enviroment allows for the students to interact and learn in different ways that are sutiable for them. If the teachers are unsure there are different website and articles like teacher vision to guide them and get them started. All of this ties back into what the author is trying to say. I beleive that with different styles, and methods it allows for student to learning and get them ready for the real environemnt. Therefore, in class I would like to discuss just how much school is like the real world, and does it compare to the situaitons and daily activites on goes through each and every day?


 
       

Talking Points #9 "Kiewer"

Connections:

         Kliewer does remind me and prtray two different articles that we have read in the past. The first that I feel he portrays is Collier and Finn & Oakes. I  will talk a little about how I feel he portrays Collier. In Kliewer's article he talks about the kids being in certain classes considered as special Education. This is because people may beleive they may not be able to do same things as a normal person. I beleive they are right and wrong. They may not be able to do everythign as a normal person, but they certinly can try. They should be given the ability to try and maybe be placed in some classes that will suit them and help them out in life. They are just like everyone else trying to succeed in their goal. Also, it is separted in and out of the classroom by their diabilites. They are either placed in certain classes, or require certain assistance throughout the schoolday. Just like in Colloer, except of them having certain diabilites, they have language barriers. Which may force them to be placed in a different classroom, or recive special treatment. Am I saying they shouldn't be placed in different classrooms? No, I just beleive that every once in a while they should be placed with normal kids and let them learn off of them and with them. It may give them a jump and help them out in life.
        This was the same with Finn and Oakes, but they talk about tracking in the schools. This is like tracking in a way as they are seperated into different calsses by their abilites or disabilities. I feel that if you want every to have the same chance then they should all be given the same chance and treated equal in different ways. There may not always be an answer in public schools. Some students with disabilites may be given better opputunites in different types of schools. Here is a video that talks about different families that goes to special schools and different school in order to help their diabilites to the fullest and help them trying to fit in and be equal. The video will show different parents talking about their children. What I would like to discuss in class is do all schools offer services for students with disabilites?

Talking Point #8 "Finn and Oakes"

Argument:

             Jeannie Oakes is basically talking about tracking, and why she disagrees with this theory completely. I was never really introduced to tracking, but now after reading this article I am aware what it was, and further more reading Oakes lead me to complelely agree with her on tracking. They are doing it I feel like she said for no reason. As she said "The rich gets richer, and the poor gets poorer". I just feel as if it is not helping out at all. She tries to fight for the fact that tracking is not good in stating different alternatives to tracking. She also says that "Academic ability is not unchangable, but developmental". The only way a student will learn is to be around others that learn like and different from him. He can take the advantages and disadvantages of each. Just to show she is not the only one on this, I found another article that talks about this problem to, and some things to do to take advantage of it. The article shows different techniques or practices in tracking and how it takes place in school.
       Literacy is major for everyone no matter if you are in the upper class, or working class states Finn. There should be a place where it should all meet and come together is her argument. She is basically saying that if people want to be successful everyone needs to help out eachother in school. Whether you are rich, or poor, you need to help out eachother in order to be successful in both literacy and school.
           Both of these authors make their arguments clearly stated. They say what it is like, and what they beleive it should eventually be like. It may and may not change. But, I do agree with what both of these authors are saying. To be able to exceed and survive in the schooling environment everyone needs eachother, and should not be sepearated into different groups. I would like to discuss in class a little more about tracking, and would like to find out just how much tracking takes place in different school settings?

Gender And Education

Hyperlinks:

        I came across many different websites while I was googling gender and education. I dont see why, but still today many people call gender wars a huge problem. I do agree with them, even in our society today we not only still have some racial problems that exist, but gender and education as well. Looking back to when i was in grades K-12 I do notice where the article I stumbled across is coming from. If you think back to when you were in these grades the boys were always trying to beat the girls, or the other way around. This short paragaph I thought was very intersting in the article:
        "Back in 1992, we pointed out that stereotypes have long limited the options of girls and boys. Viewing science and math as things boys did and art and dance as things they did not do influenced the course taking patterns and achievement levels of both sexes. We noted that although girls were getting better grades and going on for post-secondary education in greater numbers than boys, the job segregation that limits women's employment choices and the gender gap in wages continued. This is still the case."
     This was a paragrpah from the article that I found very intersting. I feel that it is not so much in college, but I could be wrong. I feel the gender wars take place more along the grade levels of secondary education. The article The Gender Wars in Education also says how this can be a good thing as long as we are all on the same side. This was just one of the articles that I stumbled upon, and I did research this topic more than others. I also was searching videos and I came across one how it talks about how women our perfrom men and more options in the workforce. The video is Women "Out" Perform Men and it jsut talks a little about different successes at Universities in the UK. In class I wish to discuss where More about this topic and if all of the statistics are true.

Wise and Brown vs. Board of Education

History: Past and Present-

       The Brown v. Board of Education website is a very informational website. It focuses on mainy turning points that we came across throughout our nation's history. It talks about how the civil war promised racial equality, and how African Americans have made a landmark on U.S. History. I feel this focuses so much on the past, but there are still many things today that are still helping use change racial equality. Also, I think it is still not a solved issue, and in Tim Wises's video he talks more about this. They both do talk about the same issue but Tim focuses more on today's society and how it still affects us today and what people are doing to change it.
         The videos are a step up to racism, but the Brown v. Board of Education shows all of the fights that they fought for. They fought hard to get to where they are today which was all for the civil rights and there rights to be treated equally just like everyone else. In the vidoe's Wise talks about Obama and how he is a stepping point. I feel this as well because, back then they would have never elected a black President. It just goes to show that what they all fought for is starting to fall into place. There is still many more steps to go through, but the vidoe's were concerning more about how they are tapping the glass, and starting to push things forward again.
     Both the vidoes, and the website both were very informational, as one focused more on the past, and the other focused more on the present time and the future. But, they were both talking and giving inforamtiona about the same thing which is racial equality. There are still problems with it today and we are just starting to "tap the glass" like Wise said. He also talks about Obama and his role. I tihnk I would like to find out more about Obama and what else he would bring to the table in solving this issue? Here is a video of a speech from Obama and it talks about race :
Obama's Race Speech

Talking Points #5 Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer "In The Service Of What? The Politics of Service Learning"

Extended Comments-Response to Raquel's Blog

      I like the question that Raquel raises at the end. She states "What do you think service learning should be.....like charity or civic duty"? I think that service learning should be considered both. I feel that either way you are going out into society and giving a helping hand either way. You are also learning and giving your full effort to help. Whehter it is charity or covic duty either way your out in the field helping either yourslef or the poeple around you leanr or conquer something.
     I feel as if our service learning project leans more towards both of the ideas. We are out helping for charity in a way because we are doing it to help out the teacher. On the other hand we are also doing it as a requirement in order to pass the class. Either way you look at it, it is giving a helping hand and not only helping out the teacher, but also helping out the students learn.
      I also agree with the part where Raquel states Jess. It is just kind of like community service. There is one way I feel as if it is a little different. Yes, you do need to get a certain amount of hours to pass. But, unlike community service you are learning about a ton of different things. You are learning azbout teaching, race, ethnicity and different ways to approach different setting/styles of teaching. So, in a way they are similiar, but I just feel as if that is a major way that they are different as well. In class I hope to discuss what the difference and similarities are between service learning and community service? Here is an article that touches upon this conflict: http://www.leadershipandservice.ufl.edu/programs/servicelearning/generalinfo/csvsl.php
 
    

 

Talking Points #4 Linda Christensen "Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us"

Arguement-

     This author "Linda Christensen" argues that the "secret education" differs the mind of the society and culutre especailly towards young children. In childrens literature, cartoons, and movies all play a mjore role in differeing the minds of young children. They catch their attention early and this affect and impacts thier views on things such as racism, and sex of a person. Like in cartoons you will never see a blakc person as a cahracter, but more or less it is all white people. Even in  children's books too. I agree with what she is saying. I never really did notice any of this either until reading this article I started to think back and see that it all makes sense. The thing I would like to  discuss/ask in class is: If anyone else has thought about this too before reading this article. As I was reading an article online about children and watching television I came across some interesting facts: http://www.boloji.com/parenting/00208.htm