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?
Friday, October 26, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
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
I digress- lets hope the gods of career commitment do not eat me
C
Sunday, October 14, 2007
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
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.
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.
Monday, October 8, 2007
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
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
Monday, October 1, 2007
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.
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.
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