#10

   Three Meaningful things from this semester.

1.  One thing from this semester that I saw as meaningful was the video classroom tour. It was really helpful for me to see an example of what a good classroom looks like (in my opinion). Another meaningful takeaway from this video was being able to see examples of Culturally responsive teaching in the form of a classroom setting. 

2. Another meaningful thing from this semester was being able to see the RI Laws regarding guidance to "Foster an educational environment that is safe and free from discrimination for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,"(pg.1). I thought that this can be a very helpful thing to have in a classroom. Having the definition in your classroom can possibly answer questions a student may have. This also lets your LGBTQ students know that you're an ally. 

3. The last thing that I have as a meaningful takeaway from this semester is a quote from Why Intersectionality Can't Wait. Crenshaw says,  "People of color within LGBTQ movements; girls of color in the fight against the school-to-prison pipeline; women within immigration movements; trans women within feminist movements; and people with disabilities fighting police abuse — all face vulnerabilities that reflect the intersections of racism, sexism, class oppression, transphobia, able-ism and more. Intersectionality has given many advocates a way to frame their circumstances and to fight for their visibility and inclusion.". I never knew what intersectionality was, as well as its importance to anyone fighting for visibility and inclusion. This quote was really meaningful to me because it gifted me with a new perspective.

RI Laws/Queering our School/Video

 RI Laws/Queering our School/Video 

Quotes:

    The first quote is from the RI Laws regarding the guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students. In the document itself, one of the purposes for the guidance is to "Foster an educational environment that is safe and free from discrimination for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,"(pg.1). The laws within all correspond and respond to the contents of the previous quote. Everything within that quote is explained thoroughly. It really is important for any teacher in the Rhode Island school system to have some familiarity with these laws. 

    The second quote is from Queering Our Schools. "And Sasha Fleischmann's skirt was set on fire on an Oakland, California, bus by a 16-year old students from another school (Sasha is an agender youth)"(pg.22). This quote is from the beginning of the article and really sets the tone for the rest of it. Bullying and discrimination within schools toward the LGBTQ+ community is intolerable and is the main focus of this article. Solving this problem within the school system and making schools safe for adults and students within the LGBTQ+ is still going on today. 

    The third quote comes from the video Woke Read Alouds: They, She, He easy as ABC. During this video the speaker says, "You are going to meet people who liked to be called more than one thing." This is the main point of the read aloud. The target audience is children, and the read aloud is to further their understanding that some people do liked to be called more than one thing, and that some people don't like to be called certain things. In school systems, bringing up to younger audiences the concept of pronouns is becoming more and more popular today. 

Here is an article that further discusses the school climate surrounding transgender individuals. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1059840518818259

Hehier

Eliminating Ableism in Education

Hehier

Reflection: 

    This article hit me a little more personally than the other articles we have looked at. I have a close friend who had poor opportunities in school because of his disabilities, until he went to highschool. Richard had faced numerous challenges throughout his life, mostly due to a disability that affected his mobility and his health, Richard also has autism. However, his determination never let this obstacle define him. Growing up, Richard was a beacon of positivity, he always knew how to look at the bright side of life. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of highschool that I became friends with Richard and our friendship blossomed into an unbreakable bond over the years. Though his education failed to address his specific needs, he never let it deter him from pursuing his dreams. Richard would always tell me about how his previous schools treated him poorly. Richard was extremely grateful to be at a private school and would always talk about it. At our highschool, Richard was equipped with professionals and classes that would help him accomplish his goals. Despite facing challenges, Richard relied on his compassionate ability to connect with others. He frequently would talk about all his many friends. Richard always had a thirst for knowledge too, he would frequently tell me what he was doing in class and what his thoughts on it were. It was honestly impressive to me to see the man he became over his 4 years in highschool, and seeing that he was able to receive the proper education he deserves really warms my heart. 

 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gscAjUlKc7Y

Examined Life Video: 

This video was an interesting watch, having someone with disabilities speak on behalf of what it's like to live like that is important. Society is just still too ignorant towards those with disabilities. I totally agree with Taylor saying that EVERYONE needs help. 

Rodriguez

Aria

Rodriguez

Hyperlinks: 

    Mr. Rodriguez is speaking the thoughts of many people in the schooling system today. There aren't many bilingual teachers in today's society. In my own experience from performing school observations, I have noticed how difficult it can be sometimes for Spanish speaking students to learn from a teacher who cannot speak, or poorly speaks the language. I have seen firsthand how this can create problems both socially, as well as intellectually. I can agree, from personal experience, that attempting to teach/assist students with a language barrier is trivial. Recent studies have shown that demand is increasing for multilingual teachers. A point that Rodriguez, in regard to children talking less with their parents as they learn more English, is really important. If the student's parents barely speak any English, this makes learning a new language even more difficult. Similar to how if a student does not do their homework, they will learn the information at a slower rate since they are no longer confronted with the material. Although demand for bilingual teachers has increased, this increase is not dispersed about the country evenly. Certain states need bilingual teachers more than others. Using data to justify this statement, it is apparent that the population of Spanish speaking students in schools has multiplied over the years. The reasons listed above portray why teachers with a "Seal of Bi-Literacy" should get be given a higher initial salary. There are many beneficial things about being bilingual, and I think it should across everyone's minds as something to consider.

Finn

Literacy with an Attitude

Finn

Reflection: 

    I found the story given in Chapter 1 to be really interesting. Specifically the part about how working-class and poor kids relate to authority. Authority is so important in the classroom because it is a crucial part of maintaining discipline. Seeing the way that he taught left me with some takeaways that I could incorporate into my own teachings. The fact that he can get assignments graded within the next class is great. This quick feedback helps students understand where they are and what they might need to improve on. 

    In Chapter 2, as expected, the schools that have the top earning families are predominately all white schools. Hearing what some of the teachers had to say about students was terrible. I have been around teachers who have talked negatively about their students. I don't understand why teachers feel the need to bash students behind their back, or in some cases, to their face. As a teacher you should be eager to help the students reach their goals. The mentioning of personal development and creativity are crucial to understand. As a developing teacher, I find that creativity is something that is lacking in the developing youth. Creativity and outside-the-box thinking are not something  one might take into consideration when teaching, it is always important to include them. Something I wish I took more notice of throughout my own schooling was my personal growth. Personal growth aids students in gaining self-awareness, developing traits, and improving potential. 

Here is a link to an article further explaining why personal growth in schooling is important. 

https://exceptionalchildren.org/blog/personal-growth-necessary-educators-implement-trauma-sensitive-practices

Blog Post #6

Blog Post #6

Video/How Structural Racism Works

Professor Rose

Reflection: 

     Something in the Structural Racism works video was very interesting to me and I have decided to write about my thoughts on it. In the video there are 5 key areas of society where racism is highly consequential. The areas listed are, housing, education, mass media, wealth/jobs, and criminal justice. I have seen countless examples of racism throughout all of these areas. In the area of housing I have seen people act and say racist things in their household. This is a really important thing to combat because the children of tomorrow shouldn't grow up with racism in their household, it then becomes a "normal" thing to them. Racism still plagues the education system. While attending school in previous years I have heard kids bully others because of skin color, and I have heard things people have said, that shouldn't be said. Kids of color need a better education, inner city schools need to be fixed, especially the public schools. In mass media, racism is everywhere you look. I don't even need to use examples, you all have phones, you know what I'm talking about. Racism is present in the line of work as well, someone should never have to feel uncomfortable to go to work. Work is supposed to be a safe place for people to go to make money to live. Lastly, the criminal justice system is a joke. A lot of people that are locked up shouldn't be there, you have guys serving a longer sentance for marajuana possesion than guys who commit way worse crimes. The prisons themselves are unstable, dirty, and cruel. In every major aspect of life racism is right there, this Is a sad thing to realize. Change starts with us. 

Here is a link to a recent news video on the crumbling prison system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8W0HbVpUJQ

Video Analysis

 Teach us all: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_xDxTLamOcZtaF0UCk9j2k4y-jjSspD8Qh4bgYB8zU8/edit

Classroom Tour:

Precious Knowledge:

Blog Post #5

 

Blog Post #5

Why Intersectionality cant wait

By Kimberlé Crenshaw

Quotes:

    While reading Why Intersectionality Cant Wait, I was able to pick out several quotes that I found to have important relevance to the text. The first quote comes right after Crenshaw mentions the concept of Intersectionality. "But if women and girls of color continue to be left  in the shadows, something vital to the understanding of intersectionality has been lost." said Crenshaw, this is her first main point in the text. She then follows this up with DeGraffenreid vs. General Motors as an example. The second quote that I found to have importance to this piece was, "People of color within LGBTQ movements; girls of color in the fight against the school-to-prison pipeline; women within immigration movements; trans women within feminist movements; and people with disabilities fighting police abuse — all face vulnerabilities that reflect the intersections of racism, sexism, class oppression, transphobia, able-ism and more. Intersectionality has given many advocates a way to frame their circumstances and to fight for their visibility and inclusion.". Crenshaw has now expanded into a broader example of Intersectionality by mentioning other groups of people being oppressed that deserve better. It only makes sense that we can apply the same idea of intersectionality for other groups to shed light. The final quote I have picked, "In the context of addressing the racial disparities that still plague our nation, activists and stakeholders must raise awareness about the intersectional dimensions of racial injustice that must be addressed to enhance the lives of all youths of color." gives a really solid ending for Crenshaws work. Now we have an idea on where this problem can begin to be solved. It starts with raising awareness of oppression and of the concept of Intersectionality. Solving the problem also requires us as students, and as future teachers to spread the concept of intersectionality.

If you are having trouble understanding Intersectionality or need a quick reminder, here is a short video of Crenshaw explaining Intersectionality !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViDtnfQ9FHc

Blog Post #4

 Blog Post #4 

Video/What to look for in a Classroom

Alfie Kohn

Reflection:

    Kohn does an outstanding job at providing ideal examples of what should be in a classroom, and what shouldn't. As a student who has been in many different classrooms throughout my life, I can say that I have seen good classrooms and bad ones. The worst classroom I've ever been in was my 7th grade classroom. Students were always talking out and complaining. The thing that bothered me most was the blank walls, the classroom was so plain and in the mind of a 7th grader it felt like I was in prison. I also particularly enjoyed classrooms that were set up to feel comfy with books and supplies everywhere. One thing that I don't have a problem with was listed as a possible reason to worry,  teachers being typically front and center was something I always liked. The teacher being in the front was very convenient for myself, especially when I had a question. Still, I can understand the appeal of an active teacher who roams around the classroom, interacting with students on a more personal level. In the video I was reminded of how important culturally responsive teaching is. I have had a few teachers who are culturally responsive and the environment is noticeably better. Teachers who can do this create an environment that acknowledges diversity and individuality, which makes students feel more appreciated and valued. 

Here are some classroom design ideas, I hope this can give someone some ideas!

https://chaylorandmads.com/classroom-decoration-ideas/

Blog Post #3

Blog Post #3

Amazing Grace

By: Jonathan Kozol

    After reading Amazing Grace , I was able to reflect on how blessed I am in life to be where I am now. In my opinion, Kozol did an outstanding job with shedding light on the horrors of South Bronx and the depressing lives of its inhabitants. While reading this piece I was quickly hooked, as I have never read about the appalling things that happen in the Bronx in such detail. Something that really stood out to me in this piece was something I was able to relate to, "Many cannot sleep. Asthma is the most common illness among children here. Many have to struggle to take in a good deep breath. Some mothers keep oxygen tanks, which children describe as "breathing machines," next to their children's beds"(pg.4). Growing up with asthma I can relate to the struggles of breathing, but I couldn't imagine what life would have been like if I didn't own an inhaler growing up. The stories Kozol talks about really bring to life the problems with South Bronx. I couldn't have been more blessed to have grown up the way I did and where I did, rather than a drug infested area. I will never understand why the world just allows this happen, action is clearly needed more than ever. More people in the world today should be grateful and appreciative that they don't have to live like the people in South Bronx live. 

-Here is a link to a first person video of someone walking around South Bronx.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFJnjicQ2aA

Blog Post #2

The Silenced Dialogue/Overview Handout

By: Lisa Delpit

Quotes:

"There comes a moment in every class where we have to discuss "The Black Issue" and what's appropriate education for black children. I tell you, I'm tired of arguing with those white people, because they won't listen. Well, I don't know if they really don't listen or if they just don't believe you. It seems like if you can't quote Vygotsky or something, then you don't have any validity to speak about your own kids. Anyway, I'm not bothering with it anymore, now I'm just in it for a grade." - Pg. 21

- This quote from a black student in a predominately white setting stood out to me for a few reasons. His point on how white people aren't listening to his thoughts when talking about the education for black children is important to look at. The point he made at the end is also something to acknowledge. He's just in it for the grade. I feel as though teachers should be more encouraging for students to be themselves and to be passionate about a topic. 

"Black children expect an authority figure to act with authority." - Pg. 35

- I would have to say that I disagree with this statement by Delpit. I understand the Concept of Authority but I don't believe that race should play a part in it. Expecting students to react to classroom commands differently based on their race is a step in the wrong direction. Each household is different with its own set of rules. It just wouldn't make sense to command students differently like that. 

"I tell them that their language and cultural style is unique and wonderful but that there is a political power game that is also being played, and if they want to be in on that game there are certain games that they too must play." - pg. 40

- This quote to be very powerful with its meaning. I like how he tells the students about how their language and cultural style is unique, as it adds a sense of acceptance between the teacher and student. I also like the mentioning of the political power game. That political power game is part of how we can change this world. 

Here is a link to an video with some ideas on combating racism in schools.

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7soCyte1RE

Blog Post #1

 

Privilege Power and Difference

By: Alan Johnson

Reflection

     After reading this text I was again reminded of how cruel the people in this world can be. I honestly wish people would be more considerate of others and what they go through. I have seen firsthand how people can be affected by sexism, racism, etc. Ignoring the problem is what most people do. As a white person it is uncomfortable to talk about racism sometimes because I just think about the pain that racism has caused people. A really important thing I realized while reading this was the importance of privilege and what it really means. I have always had a hard time understanding how people in this world could be so hateful, as I have always seen everyone as equals.

Introduction 8/29

 

    Hi, my name is Mason Hennessey. I am 19 years old and live in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. Over break I worked almost every day. I work at Crows Nest is Warwick as a bar-back, and in the future I hope to bartend while teaching. I also had a lot of fun hanging out with my friends and coworkers. When I am not in class I am either lifting at the gym or working. 

    The picture above is one of my goats. His name is Frank and he is 5 years old now. Fun fact, Frank and I share the same birthday. Frank started off by living in the house with me because he was bullied by the other goats. I wouldn't recommend letting livestock live in your house...they poop everywhere!

    The picture above is me playing Rugby at my old high school. I tore my labrum during my sophomore year and needed to get surgery. After a year of recovery time I was able to play my senior year. We won the New England Championship and I was Awarded 'Man of The Match'. It was sad that it was my last year and game of Rugby with Hendricken, but the ending was the best it could be.

    This last picture is of my great grandparents. I referred to them as Giddo and Sitto, which is Lebanese. Their parents both cam from Lebanon and travelled to Ellis Island. They both lived a long and happy life. Giddo and Sitto lived in an apartment connected to my house so I was able to see them everyday when I was a kid. I am Lebanese and people don't usually believe me when I say I am.