5. Sentences Summarizing the Main Idea
In Race Matters, Cornel West hits hard in the hearts and pride of the American people, but especially of African Americans in power. Too many, he says, have lost sight of what is important and focus solely on success and achievement for themselves, not for the black community, let alone for American as a whole. To better the nation and to aid the black America, there must be black leaders who inspire change and have the backbone to speak out about cultural democracy and work to instill a framework of moral reasoning among black America so as not to accept unqualified blacks placed into power simply out of fear of speaking against another African American.
4. Quotations
1. “Similarly, conservatives blame the “problems” on black people themselves – and thereby render black social misery invisible or unworthy of public attention” (6).
2. “The collapse of meaning in life – the eclipse of hope and absence of love of self and others, the breakdown of family and neighborhood bonds – leads to the social deracination and cultural denudement of urban dwellers, especially children” (9).
3. “First, we must acknowledge that structures and behavior are inseparable, that institutions and values go hand in hand” (18).
4. “ But there is always a chance for conversion – a chance for people to believe that there is hope for the future and a meaning to struggle” (29).
3. Key Terms
1. Afrocentrism – “a contemporary species of black nationalism, is a gallant yet misguided attempt to define an African identity in a white society to be hostile” (7).
2.Nihilism – “the lives experience of coping with a life of horrifying meaninglessness, hopelessness, and (most important) lovelessness” (23).
3.
2. Connections
1. “Hence, rhetoric becomes a substitute for analysis, stimulatory rapping a replacement for serious reading, and uncreative publications an expression of existential catharsis” (65).
* This quote reminded me of so many aspects of life, not just black America. As far back as middle school student council elections, candidates were not chosen based upon their morals or the content of their speech, but by their composure and confidence on stage along with the delivery of their speech. Similarly, America chooses candidates today. I am not necessarily for or against President Obama, but I believe a large part of the reason that he was chosen is because he extremely talented at speech delivery and he is a clean-cut, seemingly well-to-do African American figure. Though he has performed well so far as the President, I do not believe that these are proper conditions under which to choose a leader of our country. I feel that West hits the nail on the head when he discusses the need for framework involving the morals of the people, not only their skin color, otherwise we are all just as wrong as the people who instilled the Jim Crow laws.
2. “But it must be recognized that the nihilistic threat contributes to criminal behavior. It is a threat that feeds on poverty and shattered cultural institutions and grows more powerful as the armors to ward against it are weakened” (25).
* Every day as I work with children of which most are from the projects of Waco, I see the effect that poverty has on their lives. Sure, they do not get the toys they want, the clothes they want, etc. and that is heartbreaking enough. More wrenching to the soul, however, is the lack of good influences in their lives. There is a third grade boy who has been suspended and put in in-school suspension for not only sending other elementary school-aged girls inappropriate text messages, but also for grabbing these girls inappropriately at school and telling other students that they perform inappropriate acts with him. These are third graders. These girls have no safe place because a young boy’s lack of cultural institution and positive support in his life has set him up to lead a path of destruction in not only others’ lives, but his own as well.
1. Question
a. In your classroom, how would you handle finding present-day role models for your non-white students? What would the requirements be?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Countdown Paper for Chapters 7 and 12 of The Shame of the Nation By Jonathan Kozol
5. Sentences on the big picture
In these two chapters of Kozol’s masterpiece, he talks about how the surroundings of a student can affect his/her performance and determination. In the elementary schools in Oklahoma City and California, he observed students in cramped, dirty, and uncomfortable their school was dirty, dingy, and run-down. When students feel unimportant and unappreciated due to the resources they are provided with, their performance inevitably lacks in high achievement. As well, he tells that there are, in fact, schools in the urban areas that are still full of life and discovery with the children. He calls these surviving schools “treasured places.”
4. Key Passages
1. “There is no misery index for the children of the apartheid education. There ought to be; we measure almost every other aspect of the lives they lead in school” (163).
2. “You have to do what children do and breathe the air the children breathe. I don’t think there is any other way to find out what the lives that children lead in school are really like” (163).
3. “In this setting, teachers do not tend to let concerns about our nation’s competition in global marketplace intrude upon the more important needs of childhood, such as the right to find some happiness in being children” (286).
4. “What, we may ask, is missing from this purely economic explanation of the motives that bring thousands of unselfish men and women into public schools each year and lead many to remain within these schools and classrooms during the full course of their career? One thing it lacks is any recognition of the role of altruistic and protective feelings, empathetic fascination, love of children, love of learning in itself, with all the mysteries ad all the miracles and all the moments of transcendence” (296).
3. Key Terms
1. per-pupil funding (164)
2. overcrowding (171)
3. basket-weaving – in reference to liberal educations received by teachers (286)
2. Connections
1. Hearing about the trailers made me think of when our school was under construction and some classes had to have class in temporary buildings behind the school. I, fortunately, did not have to spend any time in the temporary buildings, but I constantly heard about students’ performance in them. Students in my school were only in the temporary classrooms for a maximum of a month, but teachers dreaded each day as the students complained of discomfort and were easily distracted. I was appalled when I read that students were in these trailers for entire school years. I cannot imagine how underprivileged the children felt, how unimportant they felt, and how difficult it was for them to maintain their focus in such miserable circumstances. From the teacher’s perspective, I am filled with pity. Being in the trailers must be difficult because there is even more limited space and limited resources, as if it wasn’t hard enough to keep the children’s attention in the first place. (chapter 7)
2. The young teacher in the Bronx who is 22 and from the area talks about how she is fascinated with how much the children remember and observe about her appearance. When I began working at Doris Miller Elementary this year, I went through the same experience. Still, every day that I am in the school children I am not even familiar with pile me with compliments about how they like my outfit, hair, etc. It first made me sad because I felt guilty for having nice things and being dressed nice when they are less fortunate, but then it made me realize something. It brought to my attention that those children look up to me and watch my every move every day that I am in their presence. With their attention strongly on my appearance and actions, I hold the power to be a positive influence upon each child’s life in that school.
1. Question
a. What will you do in your classroom to make it a “treasured place”?
In these two chapters of Kozol’s masterpiece, he talks about how the surroundings of a student can affect his/her performance and determination. In the elementary schools in Oklahoma City and California, he observed students in cramped, dirty, and uncomfortable their school was dirty, dingy, and run-down. When students feel unimportant and unappreciated due to the resources they are provided with, their performance inevitably lacks in high achievement. As well, he tells that there are, in fact, schools in the urban areas that are still full of life and discovery with the children. He calls these surviving schools “treasured places.”
4. Key Passages
1. “There is no misery index for the children of the apartheid education. There ought to be; we measure almost every other aspect of the lives they lead in school” (163).
2. “You have to do what children do and breathe the air the children breathe. I don’t think there is any other way to find out what the lives that children lead in school are really like” (163).
3. “In this setting, teachers do not tend to let concerns about our nation’s competition in global marketplace intrude upon the more important needs of childhood, such as the right to find some happiness in being children” (286).
4. “What, we may ask, is missing from this purely economic explanation of the motives that bring thousands of unselfish men and women into public schools each year and lead many to remain within these schools and classrooms during the full course of their career? One thing it lacks is any recognition of the role of altruistic and protective feelings, empathetic fascination, love of children, love of learning in itself, with all the mysteries ad all the miracles and all the moments of transcendence” (296).
3. Key Terms
1. per-pupil funding (164)
2. overcrowding (171)
3. basket-weaving – in reference to liberal educations received by teachers (286)
2. Connections
1. Hearing about the trailers made me think of when our school was under construction and some classes had to have class in temporary buildings behind the school. I, fortunately, did not have to spend any time in the temporary buildings, but I constantly heard about students’ performance in them. Students in my school were only in the temporary classrooms for a maximum of a month, but teachers dreaded each day as the students complained of discomfort and were easily distracted. I was appalled when I read that students were in these trailers for entire school years. I cannot imagine how underprivileged the children felt, how unimportant they felt, and how difficult it was for them to maintain their focus in such miserable circumstances. From the teacher’s perspective, I am filled with pity. Being in the trailers must be difficult because there is even more limited space and limited resources, as if it wasn’t hard enough to keep the children’s attention in the first place. (chapter 7)
2. The young teacher in the Bronx who is 22 and from the area talks about how she is fascinated with how much the children remember and observe about her appearance. When I began working at Doris Miller Elementary this year, I went through the same experience. Still, every day that I am in the school children I am not even familiar with pile me with compliments about how they like my outfit, hair, etc. It first made me sad because I felt guilty for having nice things and being dressed nice when they are less fortunate, but then it made me realize something. It brought to my attention that those children look up to me and watch my every move every day that I am in their presence. With their attention strongly on my appearance and actions, I hold the power to be a positive influence upon each child’s life in that school.
1. Question
a. What will you do in your classroom to make it a “treasured place”?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Shame of the Nation blog 1-6
5. Sentences on the Big Picture
In The Shame of the Nation, Jonathan Kozol shares of his experiences in a variety of inner city schools throughout the United States. Though heart breaking, his findings are enlightening in the fact that he hides no fact regarding the shameful situation in which underprivileged children find themselves daily in so many less than fortunate schools. His facts, figures, and observations are alarming as he informs the reader of how unjust the school systems of the nation truly are. Simply, segregation in the United States is still alive.
4. Key Passages
1. (18) “But token days are not the ebb and flow of life. They ease our feelings of regret about the way things have to be for the remainder of the year. They do not really change the way things are.”
a. This quote, made in reference to “interracial days” that were held in attempt to integrate schoolchildren, is a sad reality. Too often do higher-ups and officials think that putting together a small, short-lived gathering will give underprivileged children their fix. It’s as though they believe a small amount of exposure to white kids will make their lives better, but they couldn’t be any more wrong. For true integration, these children need to attend the same school and share the same advantages that childhood is meant to hold.
2. (20) “’Segregation, rarely discussed, scarcely even acknowledged by elected officials and schools leaders’ – an exercise in denial,’ they observe, ‘reminiscent of the South’ before the integration era – ‘is incompatible with the healthy functioning of a multiracial generation.’”
a. In relation to the quote from page 18, children must be together to be integrated. Too many children in the nation are at a school of children who, for the most, share the same skin color. Though it is managed in a legal manner so as not to outwardly rebel against the Brown v. Board decision, the schools are still segregated by race and, many times, by class.
3. (78) “’I want to change the face of reading instruction across the United States from an art to a science,’ said a top assistant to Rod Paige, the former education secretary in the winter of 2002.”
a. When I read this, I could feel my stomach turn. I’m biased, I suppose in the fact that I have a passion for literacy and the difference it can make in a child’s life. Reading instruction should be fun and innovative; it should capture a child’s heart and interest in order for him or her to truly love reading. Once a child loves reading, he/she can take it as an essential tool for the rest of his/her life.
4. (111) “The Chicago CEO, when asked how he had been attracted to the uniformity of this approach, said that he was first struck on the idea while scrutinizing training manuals for the National Guard.”
a. Once upon a time, schools were built upon the factory system; that is where the system of using bells and being accountable every day of class came about. Now, there is such a great emphasis on the management and correction of behavior, that schools resemble more of a prison system. Though students cannot be allowed to act as they please at all times, creative learning and limited privileges are what cause such behavior problems. When children feel respected, they will often give rise to respectful behavior themselves.
3. Key Terms
1. (115) “front-loading” - giving children everything at once with little to no instruction to the point that they cry and get sick out of frustration
2. (132) “testing juggernaut” - fictional character created by the stress and anxiety brought on by the expectations for achievements on standardized tests in the public school system
3. (85) “intellectual straightjacket” – the situation in which children are placed that refrains from creative thought and self discovery
2. Connections
1. (112) On this page, there is a section about Peoria, Illinois. I am from Peoria, and I have met children from Tyng Elementary, the school which they are talking about. As well, I know/ have seen kids who go to the high school that Tyng eventually feeds into and I have seen the lives of the students whether it result in gang violence, failure to graduate, etc. I have always thought that I truly knew inner city schools and what they are forced to endure; reading this excerpt gave me confidence in the fact that I am reasonably informed with experience and that I will know what to expect when I enter the work force in an inner city school.
2. (96) “They don’t engage in knowledge; they possess it.”
* I had a teacher (Fuller) my sophomore year of high school who did not care if we understood the concepts of chemistry and why the information that we learned worked. He marked down for definitions that were not written down verbatim. Even if the definition made sense and was accurate to the understanding of what a word meant, if there was a misplaced “and” or “or”, we missed the entire question.
1. Question
1. Have you ever experienced an inner city school with circumstances similar to those described in the book? How does/ did the exposure change your desire to teach?
In The Shame of the Nation, Jonathan Kozol shares of his experiences in a variety of inner city schools throughout the United States. Though heart breaking, his findings are enlightening in the fact that he hides no fact regarding the shameful situation in which underprivileged children find themselves daily in so many less than fortunate schools. His facts, figures, and observations are alarming as he informs the reader of how unjust the school systems of the nation truly are. Simply, segregation in the United States is still alive.
4. Key Passages
1. (18) “But token days are not the ebb and flow of life. They ease our feelings of regret about the way things have to be for the remainder of the year. They do not really change the way things are.”
a. This quote, made in reference to “interracial days” that were held in attempt to integrate schoolchildren, is a sad reality. Too often do higher-ups and officials think that putting together a small, short-lived gathering will give underprivileged children their fix. It’s as though they believe a small amount of exposure to white kids will make their lives better, but they couldn’t be any more wrong. For true integration, these children need to attend the same school and share the same advantages that childhood is meant to hold.
2. (20) “’Segregation, rarely discussed, scarcely even acknowledged by elected officials and schools leaders’ – an exercise in denial,’ they observe, ‘reminiscent of the South’ before the integration era – ‘is incompatible with the healthy functioning of a multiracial generation.’”
a. In relation to the quote from page 18, children must be together to be integrated. Too many children in the nation are at a school of children who, for the most, share the same skin color. Though it is managed in a legal manner so as not to outwardly rebel against the Brown v. Board decision, the schools are still segregated by race and, many times, by class.
3. (78) “’I want to change the face of reading instruction across the United States from an art to a science,’ said a top assistant to Rod Paige, the former education secretary in the winter of 2002.”
a. When I read this, I could feel my stomach turn. I’m biased, I suppose in the fact that I have a passion for literacy and the difference it can make in a child’s life. Reading instruction should be fun and innovative; it should capture a child’s heart and interest in order for him or her to truly love reading. Once a child loves reading, he/she can take it as an essential tool for the rest of his/her life.
4. (111) “The Chicago CEO, when asked how he had been attracted to the uniformity of this approach, said that he was first struck on the idea while scrutinizing training manuals for the National Guard.”
a. Once upon a time, schools were built upon the factory system; that is where the system of using bells and being accountable every day of class came about. Now, there is such a great emphasis on the management and correction of behavior, that schools resemble more of a prison system. Though students cannot be allowed to act as they please at all times, creative learning and limited privileges are what cause such behavior problems. When children feel respected, they will often give rise to respectful behavior themselves.
3. Key Terms
1. (115) “front-loading” - giving children everything at once with little to no instruction to the point that they cry and get sick out of frustration
2. (132) “testing juggernaut” - fictional character created by the stress and anxiety brought on by the expectations for achievements on standardized tests in the public school system
3. (85) “intellectual straightjacket” – the situation in which children are placed that refrains from creative thought and self discovery
2. Connections
1. (112) On this page, there is a section about Peoria, Illinois. I am from Peoria, and I have met children from Tyng Elementary, the school which they are talking about. As well, I know/ have seen kids who go to the high school that Tyng eventually feeds into and I have seen the lives of the students whether it result in gang violence, failure to graduate, etc. I have always thought that I truly knew inner city schools and what they are forced to endure; reading this excerpt gave me confidence in the fact that I am reasonably informed with experience and that I will know what to expect when I enter the work force in an inner city school.
2. (96) “They don’t engage in knowledge; they possess it.”
* I had a teacher (Fuller) my sophomore year of high school who did not care if we understood the concepts of chemistry and why the information that we learned worked. He marked down for definitions that were not written down verbatim. Even if the definition made sense and was accurate to the understanding of what a word meant, if there was a misplaced “and” or “or”, we missed the entire question.
1. Question
1. Have you ever experienced an inner city school with circumstances similar to those described in the book? How does/ did the exposure change your desire to teach?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Ups and Downs of Education
Education today is ever changing. Though it can be intimidating at times, the changes brought about by new teachers and innovators can be both extraordinary and disappointing. One positive in the classroom today is the bravery of teachers to think outside of the box. Much more often, now, teachers provide multiple opportunities for students to learn. Rarely, anymore, are students forced to only work on worksheets or only recite memorization. With such change, students are much more capable of succeeding. As always, however, there is a negative in any positive situation. With many students finding their niche, teachers can become preoccupied with one student's success and become immune to another's disadvantage. When focusing on another student, there are sometimes students who are written a script for Aderol because a teacher does not take the time or pay the attention to find the student's best learning style.
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