DIS-CRI-MIN-ATION

Treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality or prejudice: racial discrimination- American Heritage Dictionary

Sounds like Cass has a new case to me... ;)

Cass- There arent any words

My heart breaks- I am constantly reminded that being a member of the gay community, and its ramifications are a full time job. At the same time that the supreme court has ruled that it cannot grant a same sex divorce(in a state that has more gays per sq mile then san francisco), a 25 year old trans man has ended his participation in the special olympics after many years because he changed for a basketball game in what the director considered the wrong bathroom, and told him that next time police would be escorting him out.
Now we have two women floating through legal pergatory, and a man who must chose one community over another.
With a system that dishes out these pains on a daily basis its no wonder that one in three gay teens attempt suicide.
WHere does it end? Sometimes I feel that progress is only measured by each day the members of the queer commmunity manage to stay breathing.
The land of the free isn't free for everyone-
Its no wonder Ive considered moving to amsterdam

Connecting some of our authors to another music vid- God Bless Youtube

So heres the video for Queen's I want to break free... interesting if you think about it in the context of the Christiensen thing, as well as Carlson, Delpit,and Scwamp considering they used to use so much make up that Freddie Mercury looked white so they could better market him... either way Freddie looks fabulous in pink... and the song seemed appropriate for my current emotional state. What do you want for so late at night, this is what bordom gets you
Enjoy!

Talking Points 8

Premise:

Down Syndrome
Learning Disabilities
Education
Community
Personality
Stigma
Inclusion in the classroom

Argument:
Kweiler argues that all children, particularly those with down syndrome can be a participating and valuable asset to a nonsegregated school community, once the fact that they have a disability is looked past.

Evidence:
1. "Aknowledging students with Down syndrome as thoughtful, creative, and interested learners with personal identities that distinguish them from all other people suggests an individual value that enhances any context containing the child.

2. "Shared value exists in relationships in which individuals, including those with the most severe disabilites, are recognized as thinking,feeling, caring human beings with personalities all their own."

3. " In classrooms that recognize all children as citizens, teachers and peers have rejected the image of community burden attached to Down syndrome.Rather, the student is recognized as a participating member of the group."

Points to share

This article hits home for me. My cousin has Grand Mal Down's and lived with me for a short time when I was young. He was a student in an inclusionary high school, but had specific aides and classes. Therefore, while he was not in a segregated highschool he was in some segregated classes. He was labeled uneducable, and now uses a computer, and other appliances, is working towards getting a job and living in a group home. The experience has added to my life story, taught me sign language, and created a very special bond between myself and him. I understand the benefits he provides to all the different people he comes into contact with on a daily basis.

Talking Points 7 I think-

"One More River to Cross"- Recognizing the Real Injury in Brown: A Prerequisite to Shaping New Remedies
Charles Lawrence

Premise:
- Race
- Brown vs BoEd.
-segregation
-institutions
-inferiority vs superiority
-Plessy vs Furguson
-NAACP
-intention vs practice

Argument:
Lawrence argues that"the Brown decision fostered a way of thinking about segregation that has allowed both the judiciary and society at large to deny the reality of race in America."

Evidence:
1. " the institution as an instrument of subordination which used a strict and rigid cast system to clearly define and limit the social, political, and economic mobility of blacks. Woodward has called "Jim Crow" laws the "public symbols and constant reminders" of the inferior position of blacks."

2. "Instead of taking judicial cognizance of the fact that the manifest purpose of segregation was to designate blacks as inferior, holding such a purpose constitutionally impermissible, the Court chose to focus upon the effect of school segregation."

3. "Once blacks are labeled as inferior, they are denied access to equal societal opportunities. The resulting inadequate educational preparation, poverty of cultural backgrounds, and lack of experience constitute real limitations on their ability to contribute to society, and the prophecy of their inferiority is fufilled."

Comments/Points:
I think I am going to have to wait to fully comment on this piece until after our class discussion, becuase I need time to digest some of the points. However, on the surface I feel like this article is one of those pieces that highlights when intentions are not enough...
I will continue at a later date

EL ED ANYONE!?

whats the el ed admission deadline anyone know??

Kozol Maybe? A link-

So here's some Kozol-esque media for you- in Tracy Chapmans Across the Lines track- this video is her performance for Amnesty International... sounds as awesome as the CD recording- and one of her many social justice commentary tracks
How different the world would be with a Chapman for president... hmm..

Talking Points 6

Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route
Jeanie Oakes

Premise:
-classrooms
-student ability
-opportunities
-separation
-class systems
- teaching methods
-learning experiences

Argument:
Oakes argues that while the system of tracking students may not work, alternatives to the system may provide the same benefits to top students while not disadvantaging the rest of the students, even though the said alternatives may be difficult to acheive.

Evidence:
1. " as policymakers and educators become disenchanted with tracking, they may not need to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Alternative strategies, while not simple to implement, promise to help schools reach their goal of providing high-quality, relevant education to all students.
2. "Creating constructive alternatives to tracking presents technical as well as political problems. Despite promising research findings about heterogeneous grouping, little is likely to be accomplished by simply mixing students up. To be effectie, alternatives will probably, require fundamental changes."
3."Obviously, the kinds of changes likely to promote high-quality learning for all students in heterogeneous classrooms go far beyond mere fine tuning of current practice. These changes...teachers' work."

Points to share:
Although I think my argument statement is a little weak, I think the three pieces of evidence somewhat support eachother, so I apologize for lack of total cohesiveness. I think that while Oakes poses a relatively strong argument here, complete with a solution, it would require a complete reconfigure of the current education system. I think that in order to acheive it the current system would have to be somewhat abandoned. Acually I think that it would mean that elementary and secondary classrooms would have to be taught much like our own class. It would have to be less focused on compartmentalized exams, busy work, and other menial assignments and more on wholly conceptualized thought. However, if one were to do this wouldnt we then be minimalizing the importance and specialization of higher education? But then again wouldn't a system that embraced these things early on help foster skills and tools for college in a broader reaching way, therefore providing greater access to higher ed? Wouldn't more students would have the critical thought process and skill sets to be successful in that environment? I find that I more strongly support the second piece of this, that it would reach out to more students, yet I can't help but wonder if that would mean that the system would have to group students not by age but more by ability as a whole so that students would be in mixed aged classrooms that better supported their pace of learning,and would mean that acheivement was based more on personal growth then arbitrary marks of success as Oakes seems to suggest. I think this would better support the type of system Oakes would like to see, then our current one.

we often know what we do...a moment, or many

we often know what we do, we know why we do what we do,but we dont often know is what we do does.... or something close to that. Its 6 am give me some credit for a loose quouting...

She didnt know what she did, was going to do to all of us. But she sure knows why she did it, and how she did it.

Iis it wrong for me to see things like this in a situation this fucked? I dont even know anymore- Im clinging to my own sanity, in that strung out drained havent eaten in days because its too lonely kinda way-

And the one person who is suppossed to love me no matter what- tells me all I do is make the crazy friends-

This is beyond fucked- never have I been able to string nigerian bank robbers, nut bin, girlfriend,(to quote a friend) and promising practices in the same sentences nevermind the same day

6AM.... I haent seen 6 am in years...
This game sucks, I dont want to play anymore-
Thank god for my supports- for those of you i can be in touch with right now you know who you are- and thank you for letting me depend on you
Chris

Talking points#5?

Teaching to Change the World, Oakes and Lipton

Premise:
- Education
-Opportunity
-Schools as businesses
-Downfalls of public schools
-Myths about the systems
-Struggle
-Individuals vs Institutions
-Responsability
-Change
-Resources

Argument:
Oakes and Lipton argue that the public school system in America has serious downfalls hidden under a list of myths created by and participated in by our government and people, surrounding race, money, and power and privilege.

Evidence:
1. " Americans have constructed an odd mix of ideologies that both support and undermine their commitment to public schools. These ideologies,taken together, help explain how Americans can love all their children and want them to prosper while maintaining institutions and social structures that guarantee that some children won't."

2. " Do Ambitions and Hard Work Really Matter Most? Like most myths, this one draws its strength from the frain of truth embedded in it. Among thosestudents who have the resources, opportunities, and connections that come with privilege, the more ambitious and hardworking may well go father than those who simply do ok in school."

3. " Cures for low -acheiving schools follow some of the same trends that manufacturing and business are following. These include deregulation and local control, accountability based on productivity, niche marketing, competition and choice, and increased privitization.

Comments:

Sad but true, so when does systematic change begin. As it was pointed out in the article it is often slow but that doesnt make it any less necessary. How much longer do we allow most children to suffer in this system?

Career Commitment Essay

DEATH TO THIS ESSAY.... in future years it should be noted that it should allow for a 4-5 page limit. I mean jeez I am known for my brevity in prose and even I am struggling to get it down.
I digress- lets hope the gods of career commitment do not eat me
C

Christiensen in Tonka Trucks- whats next

Tonka Trucks Strong enough for boyhood.....

So this is the new Tonka Truck Ad- and I have issues with it. Needed a place to air my grievance without the judgement of the undereducated or narrow minded

I played with Tonka Trucks, AND Barbies... and BOTH of them were strong enough for Christina-hood- if you catch my drift. Does it insinuate that girls are not strong enough for Tonka Trucks? I think so. Or better yet are Tonka Trucks not strong enough for girlhood? I prefer the later but that is all a matter of semantics I supposse.

Anyone else see the problems with this ad? Is this not what Christiensen was talking about? It adds to the culture of power by perpetuating gender roles and stereotypes of girls in media.

Ew.... thats the only reaction I can begin to articulate...
Comments welcome of course

Talking Points #4

Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us
Christiensen

Premise
- media
-influence
-stereotypes
-power
-roles

Arguement:
Christiensen argues that mass media perpetuates roles, stereotypes, and politics in order to maintain the codes of power in society.

Evidence:
1. " Many students don't want to believe that they have been manipulated by children's media or advertising. No one wants to admit that theyve been "handled" by the media.

2. "There should be more women of color who play the leads in these white on white wedding cake tales. Of course, there should also be more women of color on the Supreme Court, in Congress, and scrubbing up for surgeries."

3. (In the interest of brevity)Examples brought to our attention by Christiensen in older cartoons, his Popeye, Disney, and Daffy Duck stories all strongly highlight racism, sexism, and perpetuation of the system of power.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share
Here is yet another example similar to Johnson, Delpit, Carlson, and Kozol, of very clearly stating in a way that demands attention what most of us already know but try to ignore. I was struck by Christiensens use of Disney as a main example thoughout his piece. I am an avid "worshiper" of all things Disney, and have been since I was a little kid. However, as I get older and rewatch my favorite movies, revist the parks (for the 23rd time in July) I have grown to notice their use of power, media, and stereotypes in their works. I will also be the first to highlight this to any of my friends and aquaintances despite my love. It is also why I found it so ironic and amusing that in a media mogul whos very basis is on a heterosexual stereotypically gender oriented pair of mice, the character of Mickey portrayed in the parks must be worn by a female because of the height, size, voice etc characteristics demanded by Walt Disney. My acknowledgement of Disney's role in the culture of power does not deter me in any way from their things, BUT it does make me a more educated consumer and stronger participant in educating others about Disneys methods, and madnessess if you will.

Talking Points #3

Gayness Multicultural Education and Community
Dennis Carlson

Premise:
- gay identity
-gay community
-stereotypes
-silence
-systemic oppression
-invisibility
-selective respresentation

Authors Argument:
Carlson argues that public schools appear to help children participate in communities that teach respect, but that in reality the public school community shows the gay community as a negative force, and keeps them from being represesnted in the mainstream classroom.

Evidence:
1. "Three techniques of normalization and marginalization have been of primary importance in this regard: (1) the erasure of gayness in the curriculum,(2) the "closeting" and "witch hunting" of gay teachers, and (3) verbal and physical intimidation of gay teachers and students."
2. " At the level of state educational policy, it is noteworthy that no state currently recognizes gays and lesbians as legitimate minority or cultural groups to be considered in textbook adoption or to be inculded in multicultural education;"
3. " the school community has been sanctioning of the verbal and physical intimidation of gay teachers and students.... These abuses get tolerated because gay teachers and students operate in an environment where they feel afraid to stand up for themselves."

Questions/Comments
This is my reality, as hard it is to read I cant thank Carlson enough for calling it into the limelight, class will be a challenge for me- I am requesting your respect.
Thank you

Talking points #2

Teaching Multilingual Children
Virginia Collier

Premise
- multilingual children
- ell, esl, and multilingual teachers
-challenges to multilingual students
- problems with classrooom management due to language learning
- respect of culture/ first language
- balance of nativity and first culture and language vs new

Authors Argument
Collier argues that there is a unique set of educational and cultural issues that must be addressed when teaching multilingual children but that if done with care, and properly handled multilingual children can succeed in the classroom.

Evidence
1. "The key is the true appreciation of the different linguistic and cultural values that students bring into the classroom. ... teaching English to second-language learners can become an enriching experience when appreciating students' different languages and life situations."(223)

2. " The critical distinction to maintain is between how children aquire the capacity to converse casually in a second language, and how they learn to become proficient students using second language. These are two entirely different processes."(225)
3. "Teachers are responsible for facilitating academic language development. Academic language does not come to kids automatically just because they are in a dominant English speaking locale."(225)

Questions Comments
I would just like to point out that the above three arguements are only the tip of the iceberg. The truth is that to support her arguement Colliers seven guidelines are the best evidence. However, I did not want to use only three of them since I felt that they were not only the crux of the article, but also that by listing only three and not covering all seven as pieces of evidence it was doing some injustice(what can I say, I wanted to be thorough).
As a side note I like Colliers approach- seemed real matter of fact, and articulate. I thought it was interesting that at one point she comments that it is easier for language learners to have short simpler sentences, and that this was exactly the type of text she used in her article. It was though she wrote the piece with ELL students in mind, so that if they were to come across this article it would be easier for them to break down.

Talking Points #1

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
Peggy MacIntosh

Premise:

-Advantage vs Disadvantage
- (Male) Privilege
-Unwilligness to discuss or admit privilege/power dynamics
-Race
-Whiteness
-Connectedness of oppressions

Author's Argument:
MacIntosh argues that different forms of oppression are individual in the specific advantages and disadvantages they bestow on the two sides of the power dynamic, but they are all similar and connected by the fact that as forms of oppression they are both pervasive in the culture of power, and take on visible forms.

Evidence:
1. "Since racism, sexism, and heterosexism are not the same, the advantages associated with them should not be seen as the same. In addition, it is hard to disentangle aspects of unearned advantage that rest more on social class,economic class, race, religion, sex and ethnic identity than on other factors."
2." They take both active forms, which we can see, and embedded forms, which as a member of the dominant groups one is taught not to see."
3. " The silences and denials surrounding privilege are the key political tool here. They keep the thinking about equality or equity incomplete, protecting unearned advantage and conferred dominance by making these subject taboo."

Points to share:

MacIntosh raises points similar to both Delpit, and Johnson in terms of the importance of conversation, silence, and language. I find that she supports Delpit in regard to where the responsability for these issues needs to lay, and Johnson in the idea that one needs to take accountability for their position in the culture of power in order to help affect change in the system. However, I think she does a good job of filling in the gaps of the previous two authors. When reading her piece it came across as though she connected the two previous authors points all in one place, and in a way that may not be entirely obvious if one were to read the pieces independantly. I find that it was in some ways clearer and more direct than Delpit while raising the same issues with equal impact. I enjoyed reading her style, and found it similarly user friendly in comparrrison to Johnson. Her points are valid, strong, and supported, and I am again in agreement. I only hope that in some way, either through a class discussion, or a future author, a solution to HOW these conversations should be started and had is posed. I am in support of the problems, and the suppossed solutions but am slighly frustrated that no one has presented HOW to get there.

Hey Guys-

Hey guys,
This is my little corner of our web-class. I am not entirely new to the blogging thing so if any of you are having some trouble you can pop in and let me know, Ill try and give you a hand. So I guess this is where I should tell you a little bit about myself. I am a first semester junior- but my credits arent quite there. I transferred out of URI and RIC only excepted some of my classes. Im an intended education major, just dont ask me in what. I am a masshole born and bred, and intend on getting back to big city soon. When Im not in class I spend time with my only passion- MUSIC, playing music, writing music and other spoken word, hanging out at poetry slams and open mics, and wasting time in cofffee shops even though I dont drink coffee. Im the type who would rather drink coke in the morning. Between classes youll find me in the unity center- its the greatest overlooked spot on campus. This is not my first class with Dr. Bogad- I liked her so much the first time I'm back for more.
Anyway- these are some of my favorites in a nutshell- stop in and say Hi- I love comments...