Education Is Politics

QUOTES:

"Can education develop students as critical thinkers, skilled workers, and active citizens? Can it promote democracy and serve all students equitably?" 

Although this is this is only the second and third sentence in the reading it is a REALLY powerful quote. It is definitely something to think about. When I first read the title of this reading I automatically thought of my political science class and thought "oh jeez here we go again with politics". Education can OF COURSE develop students as critical thinkers. That is how we become critical thinkers. Education plays a big part on how students look at the real world. We all have our own opinions, neither right or wrong, they are our views. And we as future teachers are going to teach our students that. There will be things going on in the outside world that students will sit there and actually think about and it will be critical. Everything in life is going to be critiqued whether it is good or bad. They will become skilled workers because going to school teaches students skills like learning how to write a check, and learning math problems so they can figure out percentages at a store. Everything you learn in school is a skill. And finally students WILL be active citizens whether they register to vote when they turn 18 or not. Each student will have an opinion on all political views. 

"In making these choices, many teachers are unhappy with the limits of the traditional curriculum and do what they can to teach creatively and critically. Whether they deviate from or follow the official syllabus.."

I personally really liked this quote because it has a lot to do with politics. I was talking to a teacher who works at a New Bedford public school and he was telling me that it is really hard for students in an urban are to be happy with what they are learning. Because teachers now-a-days have to be so stuck on what the book and their syllabus tells them, it's hard for them to make lessons enjoyable for students. Students obviously don't want to sit at their desks all day and do written work, they want to do some fun activities and group work. However if the teachers lesson does not have that included they do not do it, simple as that. Teachers have their own classrooms which means they should be able to create some of their own lessons, and maybe teach some things that students will be able to take into the real world with them. 

"By situating critical study in student experience and language, problem-posing is also multicultural, the fifth value in the agenda offered in the first chapter.  Student speech, community life, and perceptions are foundations of the curriculum. Empowering pedagogy develops classroom discourse for the students diversity."

I really liked this quote because as a student I don't like to just learn the same thing all day every single day. In high school we had four classes a semester we would have an elective,two problem-posing classes, and a language. I really enjoyed that because it breaks up your day and helps make a student learn diversely. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

 

BELLY DANCERS VS. BURQAS

 This was a very good experience for me. I took a lot from it. At first I definitely had no idea what to expect. I thought I was just going to be sitting in a room for two hours bored out of my mind. I was 100% wrong. From the minute the woman started talking I was intrigued. The first thing she made us do was sit down with a scrap piece of paper and she asked us "Muslim women are..." she told us not to think about it too hard and to write down the first thing that came to mind. I immediately thought "hardworking" "strong" "misunderstood" and "beautiful". It didn't really seem too hard to me. Muslim women I thought are just like every other women. Wrong. A lot of people whether they are male or female who are not Muslim view Muslim women differently. However, it may not be because that is their thoughts, it could be because of the things they have seen on t.v., in movies, or magazines.  As the slide show started the first picture we looked at was a picture of Jasmine from "Aladdin". One of my all time favorite Disney movies. Which made me even more excited. However, I never really looked at Disney the way we did in this lecture. When we had talked about the racist lyrics in the beginning of the movie, I really thought how could Disney do something like this and get away with it? When you are younger you obviously do not pick up on these things. Why are people so racist? If you listen to the lyrics of this song you can clearly hear it say "where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face, but hey it's home". Because Disney was told to change their lyrics not a lot of people have heard this. But after listening to this song people will start to think that Muslims do this. Not true. Muslims, and Muslim women are just like every other person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSxZXZ11yH8

Going back to Aladdin we talked about Jasmine's appearance. She has the features of a white girl rather than her own Muslim features. On the other hand the villian of the movie Jafar clearly has visible Muslim looking features. It's like they are trying to say it is not alright for Muslim women to be comfortable in their own skin. They need to be someone they are not. 

 

 When we talked about Muslim women being misunderstood we looked at another really interesting image. An image of a young Muslim girl staring into the camera. But when you look at the picture it is kind of hard to understand what kind of emotions this girl is really trying to portray. Is she scared? Is she angry? Is she startled? Nobody knows except for her. I think that is really how Muslim women must feel when they go out in public whether they are dressed in burquas or not. They shouldn't just be stared at or have pictures taken of them being published on a popular magazine with a story that is not even true. It would be nice if we as Americans could take some time out of our days to sit down with these women and ask how they really feel about being misunderstood. Maybe they even feel the same way about us.

I also want to talk about men's roles as Muslim's. Some people would say Muslim women are only wearing burqas because their husbands are making them cover up and that is not true in the slightest bit. They are wearing them because that's what makes them feel like them, what makes them feel confident and strong, and what is part of their culture. They are not doing it for their husbands or anyone else for that matter. It is their decision, just like it is our decision as Americans to wear whatever catches our eye. It is the same to them. How is it fair for us to automatically assume things? It's not. Like the saying "you can't judge a book by it's cover" you shouldn't judge a person by their clothes. Every women should stand up for what she likes. I am proud to say I agree with all of these Muslim women, and I am so glad I learned about this subject when I did because it makes me want to learn even more. 

I can now say "Muslim women are..." powerful, open minded, smart, amazing.. etc. I just want to keep learning more each and every single day. 

                                                                     

cited pages: 

http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Jasmine-aladdin-23125960-324-650.jpg
http://www.rotoscopers.com/2013/09/17/jonathan-freeman-to-play-jafar-again/
http://imgarcade.com/1/muslim-girl-green-eyes/



related readings:

"The Silenced Dialogue"
"An Indian Father's Plea"
"A White Privilege"

I really think this lecture related to "The Silenced Dialogue" because Muslim women in this case are very "silenced". Instead of people giving them a chance to speak their minds they are basically "shunned" for who they are. Because of the things that have happened such as 9/11 people view Muslims as really bad people. Muslim women never get to express why they dress the way they do, people automatically assume its because men are telling them to dress that way because apparently Muslim men have more power. Not the case at all. Muslim women dress the way they want to because they like it. It shows they have higher power. Like in the Silenced Dialogue Muslim women are not able to speak up about their culture
Another related reading would be "An Indian Father's Plea". I think this is a really good one to relate this lecture too because in the reading the little boy going to school is looked down upon because he follows different beliefs and a different religion than the other students. The students think its really weird for the boy to know facts about his beliefs and the teacher refuses to learn about what he knows because they are all supposed to follow Christianity basically. Like the reading, a lot of Muslims are looked at differently whether they are a man or a woman because of what they believe in. What this society does not understand is that every single person is different. Not everyone has to have the same hair color, eye color, skin color, religion, ethnicity. EVERY PERSON IS DIFFERENT. A lot of people wont give Muslims a chance to have a discussion about their religion because it is considered "wrong". 
Finally, the last reading I would relate this lecture to is "A White Privilege". White people are always known .to have a privilege. The thing is racism is everywhere. No matter where you go. White people racist towards black people. Black people racist towards white people. Hispanics racist towards Asians and so on.. It will always be that way no matter where you go in life. It seems to be getting very out of hand. Like in the reading white people always seem so privileged. An example given at the lecture was if a white person was at an airport being checked by security they would automatically be let through because they are white. There you go that is one privilege right there. However if it was a Muslim person they would be getting the worst looks, they would be checked a million times by security and pulled aside. 
All in all I learned a lot from both the readings and this lecture and it has opened my eyes to a whole new world and now I realize how cruel this world can be. 

Citizenship In School

HYPERLINKS:

Reading this piece really made me reflect on my schooling. When I was in kindergarten I was in a classroom with down syndrome children, and others who have disabilities. Not once were they treated differently. However, when I think about that I think to myself is that because we were all so young? But then I really realized the answer truly is no. Just because a child has down syndrome or another disability it does not make them ANY different than any other child. The only difference is in how they learn. Every child learns differently anyhow, and at different paces. I really liked this article and how it related it to the Where the Wild Things Are. That was one of my favorite books growing up. Also, when I was a junior in high school I was taking a child development class and I had the opportunity to have three girls in my class with down syndrome, and other disabilities. I was so grateful I out of 28 other kids in my class was the lucky one to get to work with them. I felt so honored. These kids are the most kind-hearted, smart, loving people. They continuously put a smile on my face, it was a joy helping them with their work. Some days it was definitely difficult trying to keep them up to pace but in the end it was all worth it. I loved this article because it really shows what's to come in the future. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bLu6A6TS2U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0_lPD_tSJo

Literacy With an Attitude

QUOTES:

"First there is empowering education, which leads to powerful literacy, the kind of literacy that leads to positions of power and authority. Second, there is domesticating education, which leads to functional literacy, literacy that makes a person productive and dependable, but not torublesome."

-Honestly this quote kind of made me angry. Yes education plays a HUGE part in everyone's lives just about, however it does not mean in any way that education helps you with literacy. Yes obviously you learn to read through education but it does not mean you are a better reader or writer. Also, by reading certain types of literacy that does not mean you are a higher authority than everyone else in this world. Literacy should be based upon what a person enjoys and what is in their heart and they should not have to read or write something because they are told to, or told that it will make them "better". 


"They must understand the relationship between society, culture, language, and schooling."

-I really like this quote because in our class I have learned SO much more about society, culture, language, and schooling and I have realized that everyone and every enviroment is different. I think literacy would of course help students understand and realize a lot about people and this world today and I think it would interest them more and want to read and write more.

"I made the assignments easy so the least able students could do them. l had "extra credit" assignments for students who finished early, usually not too challenging but time consuming." 

-I really like this quote because when I was growing up in my elementary school I had esl students in my school. And a lot of them needed extra help and time. I think it is only fair to the whole class if everyone recieves them same work. And if that means it will be easy for some and harder for the others than so be it. Everyone learns at different paces so giving these children who need the extra time the same work as the others it shows them that they are very capable of doing the same thing. 

 

Becoming Something Different

REFLECTION:

After reading this article I automatically connected it to the 'Hunger of Memory' piece. Esme is a Latina who is coming into a new school and has to experience new things. She has no idea what people are going to think of her. Would they judge her for her ethnicity? Would they be friends with her? When she was asked to describe herself she obviously said she she was a lot smarter, last year she used to just go to school and come home and repeat every day. Now she wants to start staying after school and joining things. As I read that I asked myself "why is it that her routine was the same every single day last year?". As I reflected back to the Hunger of Memory piece I then realized it is because people are judged not only for their color but for their ethnicity, their background, and the language they speak. Is this a reason she could have been doing that every day? Were students and teachers not accepting of her? I think it is really great that the school incorporated Latino opportunities into their school. It really helps Esme be connected with other students as well as her culture. As the reading says "As our analysis demonstrates, students such as Esme, who may see themselves as only "kind of smart" and as dependent on others for guidance, are nonetheless actively engaged in the process of becoming and responding by ceding to and resisting their positioning in the school". Spanish as well as every other language SHOULD be offered in schools for students to take. So they can branch out and learn other things because not every student is the same. Everyone comes from a different background. Students like Esme coming in to this school where not one person is accepting is not right. Like the Hunger of Memory the teachers should incorporate a second language in their classrooms so every child has a chance to learn. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWP8-yBAcnY 

^ this link shows students joining a SLC (swiss language club) enjoying it, and learning new things. This should be available in every school. 

Between Barack And A Hard Place:

HYPERLINKS:

After watching this video it gave me a whole new outlook on racism in schools. How is it that we as Americans can be so racist? Why do teachers and principals make it acceptable to put black kids in a lower standard class just because they are black? It doesn't mean they are not as smart as someone who is white. Why is it that some people can make fun of black people and think its totally acceptable because they are "just joking around". What if a black person was joking around with a white person? It would be completely looked down upon. Every American can claim they are not racist, and they might not be. However there are a lot of people out there that even make comments to themselves and just think in their head racist thoughts. As the speaker in this video said if he were to ask a white person how many black friends they had the person would respond oh a lot of them because they don't want to appear racist. The speaker said if he were to now ask the person what the black friends' names are, their phone numbers, and what their moms name was the person may or may not be able to answer. Although there are people out there who do have a lot of black friends there are others that are just simply lying because they don't want to seem racist for saying they do not have any. I think that in schools starting at a young age we need to focus on racism and make it apparent to parents and students that it is a big deal and we need to end racism now. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJUAvHwdb6o


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ2xOILD38E

In The Service Of What?

QUOTES:

"Service learning makes students active participants in service projects that aim to respond to the needs of the community while furthering the academic goals of students"

-I believe what this quote is about is that all students should be participating in community service. Not only is it good for them, it helps open their eyes and have a different outlook on life. They can learn a lot from doing some community service whether it is volunteering at a nursing home, or helping out with some cleaning at a local shelter. Either way they are seeing how another person lives. They may need some extra help with things and they can be more educated by learning how to serve. 

"The class discussed the growing economic disparity between rich and poor, the impact of homelessness on children, and the difficult balance between individual rights and collective responsibility"

-This quote is really powerful. Not all children can see how other people are living. They may be living in a home where their parents make a bit more money than other families they may be eating more than three times a day, and they may have some more material items than other children. The child may not be able to get it past them that there are children who do not have any of that at all. They may not have a home, food, or toys to play with. It is good that this class is having a discussion on how important this topic is because they may be able to do some community service and help them out. 

"The moral domain, service learning activities tend toward two types of relationships. Relationships that emphasize charity we will call "giving". Those that aim primarily to deepen relationships and to forge new connections we will call "caring"."

-This quote really made me think about life. I realize that there are people out there who will give to charities as community service just because they feel bad and want people to acknowledge them for what they do. They want to be the center of attention when in reality there are families that need more attention than the person that is doing the "giving". Then there are families that not only give, but they care. They will go out of their way and do whatever they can for families in need. Around Christmas time my church sets out a Christmas tree with paper ornaments and at the end of mass you can go down to the tree pick off an ornament with a present you need to buy for a child in need on it. I do this every year but reading this piece made me realize that I do really care about these people and want to be able to do everything I can to help them because I wouldn't want to end up in this situation. I think it is good to teach children in school how this can effect them and how they can help.