Monday, December 10, 2018
Social Justice
For my Social Justice event I watched "The Hate U Give". This movie didn't change how I looked at the black lives matter movement but it gave me a more visual representation about what the black community faces on a day to day basis. This movie show cases what it means to be a black citizen in the united states. Starr Carter watches as her friend Kahlil is shot after being pulled over for failing to signal a lane change. He had asked the cop too many questions as to why he was getting pulled over and when he pulled out a hairbrush, the cop assumed it was a gun and pulled the trigger. It was heartbreaking to see this type of thing happen knowing that he was innocent. As time passed after this incident the audience watched how Starr coped with this trauma. We also watched how her friends and community reacted. Protests happened often among the black community while Starr's white friends at school just used it as an excuse to skip school. I didn't understand the importance of speaking out and being passionate until I saw how much these people have to fight for the same treatment that I am born with. This movie is one that gives a multitude of reasons as to why the Black Lives Matter movement is important and should be fought for.
Monday, December 3, 2018
Pecha Kucha
Link to my Pecha Kucha:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTwDgG-YS3lq5H8UeDATxNlJcpRvNmyZFemyNvbDSGfa6rDWaeK-I26gK9L23nFpT2h-c7Y1yfOo9aT/pub?start=true&loop=false&delayms=20000
Monday, November 26, 2018
Oakes
Quotes:
Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route by Jeannie Oakes explains what tracking is and how it is affecting the youth of today's schools.
"One fact about tracking is unequivocal: tracking leads to substantial differences in the day-to-day learning experiences students have at school." Students that are separated by achievement level differ greatly. Minority students tend to achieve lower and are given less resources because they are expected to do worse in general. On the other hand, high achieving students, usually white, are given better resources and teachers. They are basically bred to succeed.
"In low-ability classes, for example, teachers seem to be less encouraging and more punitive, placing more emphasis on discipline and 'behavior and less on academic learning." These kids in low- ability classes are at an unfair disadvantage. They are almost forced to achieve less based on the environment that they learn in. I believe that if they were given the same resources as the higher-level students that they would achieve closely too them or at least better than where they are at now.
"Some rules of thumb can help teachers judge whether the lessons they plan are likely to help students of all ability levels succeed. First, lessons will probably be most successful if they require active learning tasks rather than passive ones, and if they have students working together rather than alone. Second, learning tasks are probably most helpful when they are full of complications and when they require multiple abilities - thinking, discussing, writing, and visualizing - to accomplish. Third, learning tasks will suit most students if they are modeled on complex and challenging "real world" problem-solving. These guidelines keep the curriculum from drifting too far into the highly technical and abstract world of "school" knowledge and too far away from "the real thing."" These few techniques can help teachers to give students a good education regardless of ability level. It is important that all students are given the opportunity to succeed. Many students learn at different levels and in different ways and it is important to be accommodating to all of them.
An interesting article on tracking:
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108013/chapters/What-Tracking-Is-and-How-to-Start-Dismantling-It.aspx
Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route by Jeannie Oakes explains what tracking is and how it is affecting the youth of today's schools.
"One fact about tracking is unequivocal: tracking leads to substantial differences in the day-to-day learning experiences students have at school." Students that are separated by achievement level differ greatly. Minority students tend to achieve lower and are given less resources because they are expected to do worse in general. On the other hand, high achieving students, usually white, are given better resources and teachers. They are basically bred to succeed.
"In low-ability classes, for example, teachers seem to be less encouraging and more punitive, placing more emphasis on discipline and 'behavior and less on academic learning." These kids in low- ability classes are at an unfair disadvantage. They are almost forced to achieve less based on the environment that they learn in. I believe that if they were given the same resources as the higher-level students that they would achieve closely too them or at least better than where they are at now."Some rules of thumb can help teachers judge whether the lessons they plan are likely to help students of all ability levels succeed. First, lessons will probably be most successful if they require active learning tasks rather than passive ones, and if they have students working together rather than alone. Second, learning tasks are probably most helpful when they are full of complications and when they require multiple abilities - thinking, discussing, writing, and visualizing - to accomplish. Third, learning tasks will suit most students if they are modeled on complex and challenging "real world" problem-solving. These guidelines keep the curriculum from drifting too far into the highly technical and abstract world of "school" knowledge and too far away from "the real thing."" These few techniques can help teachers to give students a good education regardless of ability level. It is important that all students are given the opportunity to succeed. Many students learn at different levels and in different ways and it is important to be accommodating to all of them.
An interesting article on tracking:
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108013/chapters/What-Tracking-Is-and-How-to-Start-Dismantling-It.aspx
Map the Authors, relation to field placement
SCWAAMP, Johnson, and Delpit all have this idea of privilege and power within our culture. In my classroom it is easy to see how they all relate. The white (female) teacher holds all of the power and control. She has control over what takes place in the classroom and makes sure that the students act accordingly. There is not as many black teachers within the school and the students tend to respect them less than their main, white, teacher. There is a sense that maybe they disrespect their parents at home but that leads to the question of why wouldn't they disrespect all authority? Although these students do not seem to see race when I walk in the classroom as a young, white, female, it is made clear that they look at me differently than other teachers. They respect me and listen to me and tend to walk all over the black teachers/ teacher assistants. At first it seemed like a normal thing in the classroom, I was new so why wouldn't they treat me differently. But then I understood that somewhere along the lines of their lives they were taught to treat white people as higher up than colored people. They gave the white adults and children in their lives more power over them and more privilege. The codes of power in the classroom go hand and hand with this. Although the students may not realize that they are doing it, they submit all sense of individuality and control in their classroom once a teacher, specifically a white teacher, takes over the classroom.
Kliewer, McDermott and Varenne
Reflection:
Kliewer's article: Citizenship in Schools: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome discusses the importance of children with disabilities being included in the public atmosphere. The article showcases different students that would have benefited being with other children instead of feeling like outcasts. Children with disabilities are looked at differently by students and teachers to the point where it's hard to make them feel normal. No child should feel like they are on the outside. The opportunities given to each child should be the same regardless of disability or not.
McDermott and Varenne's article: Culture as Disability, discusses the relation between our culture and how it views people with disabilities. They make it known that it is the culture that decides if people are disabled or not and treats them accordingly. People who are disabled will not feel as though they are until the culture around them decides that they are. The focus of education is shifting from victim-blaming to how we can improve how things are viewed around the individual. It is important to understand that the individual did not ask to have a disability and should not be treated as though they had a say in it. Along these lines is that separating children with disabilities from mainstream culture does not help them learn and actually prohibits them from integrating into society. There is a way to help them and guide them without creating a separate path for them.
Both of these articles were easily understood because of how they related to my life personally. My uncle has a physical disability but didn't always. So growing up he lived a normal life. Now that he is older and in a wheel chair he has certain things that he can not do alone. Even though he has these handicaps we do not treat him any differently. This also goes for the students in my elementary with learning disabilities. They learn at a different rate than the other children but that does not mean they aren't just as cable of achieving the same goals as the other students. If children are treated differently at a young age they will perform worse over time because they think that they cannot achieve as much or as well as other students. I believe that it is important to help them understand that this is not the case and that they are just as capable as others.
This link describes what our cultures definition of a disability is. https://adata.org/faq/what-definition-disability-under-ada
Kliewer's article: Citizenship in Schools: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome discusses the importance of children with disabilities being included in the public atmosphere. The article showcases different students that would have benefited being with other children instead of feeling like outcasts. Children with disabilities are looked at differently by students and teachers to the point where it's hard to make them feel normal. No child should feel like they are on the outside. The opportunities given to each child should be the same regardless of disability or not.
McDermott and Varenne's article: Culture as Disability, discusses the relation between our culture and how it views people with disabilities. They make it known that it is the culture that decides if people are disabled or not and treats them accordingly. People who are disabled will not feel as though they are until the culture around them decides that they are. The focus of education is shifting from victim-blaming to how we can improve how things are viewed around the individual. It is important to understand that the individual did not ask to have a disability and should not be treated as though they had a say in it. Along these lines is that separating children with disabilities from mainstream culture does not help them learn and actually prohibits them from integrating into society. There is a way to help them and guide them without creating a separate path for them.
Both of these articles were easily understood because of how they related to my life personally. My uncle has a physical disability but didn't always. So growing up he lived a normal life. Now that he is older and in a wheel chair he has certain things that he can not do alone. Even though he has these handicaps we do not treat him any differently. This also goes for the students in my elementary with learning disabilities. They learn at a different rate than the other children but that does not mean they aren't just as cable of achieving the same goals as the other students. If children are treated differently at a young age they will perform worse over time because they think that they cannot achieve as much or as well as other students. I believe that it is important to help them understand that this is not the case and that they are just as capable as others.
This link describes what our cultures definition of a disability is. https://adata.org/faq/what-definition-disability-under-ada
Sunday, November 18, 2018
TAL, Herbert, and Brown vs. Board of Education
Quotes:
These three reading question the idea of integration and what that would mean for poorer, minority driven, communities.
Herbert says in his article "Separate and Unequal":
"Breaking up these toxic concentrations of poverty would seem to be a logical and worthy goal. Long years of evidence show that poor kids of all ethnic backgrounds do better academically when they go to school with their more affluent — that is, middle class — peers."
Although integration was difficult and unappreciated when it was first implemented, studies showed that the black children that were mixed into white schools performed better and achieved more closely to the white children.
In this American Life, the difference between minority driven schools and white based schools is discussed. Nikole and Ira spend time discussing why integration works for both types of children. They mention how the achievement gap was cut by almost half. Nikole states, " I think it's important to point out that it is not that something magical happens when black kids sit in a classroom next to white kids. It's not that suddenly a switch turns on and they get intelligence or wanting the desire to learn when they're with white kids. What integration does is it gets black kids in the same facilities as white kids, and therefore it gets them access to the same things that those kids get-- quality teachers and quality instruction."
In order for minority children to have a better chance at success they need access to the same type of education that white students have. Integration provided that for them and it would be interesting to see the results if it had been continuously implemented up to now.
The Brown vs Board of Education case inspired different groups of people to come forward and protest for what they believe in. The idea that separate is not equal was widely spread and forced the government to look the treatment of (mainly) African Americans. One quote written states, "
Today, thanks in part to the victorious struggle in the Brown case, most Americans believe that a racially integrated, ethnically diverse society and educational system is a worthy goal, though they may disagree deeply about how to achieve it."
Many things have changed over the years since Brown vs Board of Education. Integration is more widely discussed and considered now. Although it would prove to be difficult I think that the data should not be ignored. Children that are integrated perform better in the classrooms. If integration isn't a viable solution to the problems at hand then another option would be getting these kids better resources and a quality education.
These three reading question the idea of integration and what that would mean for poorer, minority driven, communities.
Herbert says in his article "Separate and Unequal":
"Breaking up these toxic concentrations of poverty would seem to be a logical and worthy goal. Long years of evidence show that poor kids of all ethnic backgrounds do better academically when they go to school with their more affluent — that is, middle class — peers."
Although integration was difficult and unappreciated when it was first implemented, studies showed that the black children that were mixed into white schools performed better and achieved more closely to the white children.
In this American Life, the difference between minority driven schools and white based schools is discussed. Nikole and Ira spend time discussing why integration works for both types of children. They mention how the achievement gap was cut by almost half. Nikole states, " I think it's important to point out that it is not that something magical happens when black kids sit in a classroom next to white kids. It's not that suddenly a switch turns on and they get intelligence or wanting the desire to learn when they're with white kids. What integration does is it gets black kids in the same facilities as white kids, and therefore it gets them access to the same things that those kids get-- quality teachers and quality instruction."
In order for minority children to have a better chance at success they need access to the same type of education that white students have. Integration provided that for them and it would be interesting to see the results if it had been continuously implemented up to now. The Brown vs Board of Education case inspired different groups of people to come forward and protest for what they believe in. The idea that separate is not equal was widely spread and forced the government to look the treatment of (mainly) African Americans. One quote written states, "
Today, thanks in part to the victorious struggle in the Brown case, most Americans believe that a racially integrated, ethnically diverse society and educational system is a worthy goal, though they may disagree deeply about how to achieve it."
Many things have changed over the years since Brown vs Board of Education. Integration is more widely discussed and considered now. Although it would prove to be difficult I think that the data should not be ignored. Children that are integrated perform better in the classrooms. If integration isn't a viable solution to the problems at hand then another option would be getting these kids better resources and a quality education.
Monday, October 29, 2018
Kahne and Westheimer
Reflection:
In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning by Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer
The article brings attention to service learning and what that means. Service learning is the idea that students can learn outside of a traditional classroom setting and do so by helping others. The article says, "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." This is an important concept because it fights traditional learning styles. Service learning allows students to connect with their community and become more well-rounded on their knowledge of the world around them. Kahne and Westheimer state, "Our goal is not to replace consensus with conflict, but rather to point out the various ideological, political, and social goals that can be promoted by service learning activities in schools." They directly state that they want students to learn different and more lessons from this type of learning. Service learning gives students an opportunity to come up with their own ideas and reap the benefits directly. In my own life I can already see the benefits from working with the kindergartners. I found out how good I am with younger kids and that I want to be more involved with them. I also discovered that I do not necessarily want to be a high-school teacher and am considering working more with younger students. Seeing this kids is also giving me insight as to how the younger generations see the world. They are more insightful than I thought and have a lot to say about the world around them. Service Learning Projects help students experience the world in a different and more independent way.
More information about Service Learning:
http://www.washington.edu/teaching/teaching-resources/engaging-students-in-learning/service-learning/
In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning by Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer
The article brings attention to service learning and what that means. Service learning is the idea that students can learn outside of a traditional classroom setting and do so by helping others. The article says, "Service learning makes students active participants in service projects that aim to
More information about Service Learning:
http://www.washington.edu/teaching/teaching-resources/engaging-students-in-learning/service-learning/
August
Reflection:
Safe Spaces: Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT Youth by Gerri August
Gerri August begins the article by explaining the affect that classrooms may have on LGBT youth. She says, "Students understand that classrooms are not neutral spaces.. they are charged with emotion". This is true in everyone's case. It is impossible to keep emotion out of the classroom. Both students and teachers bring in personal issues, whether or not they share them with the class in another issue. Because it is impossible to separate home from school, there may be students present that are dealing with LGBT issues that the teachers do not know about. It's important to make sure that they feel safe discussing problems and opening up in the classroom. Not everyone will open up and if that is the case classrooms also need to be a safe space for LGBT youth to be. This means monitoring offensive comments and making sure that nothing said will result in harmful thoughts. Being a safe and open space is also about presenting issues that this group faces. The whole class
must be informed about LGBT youth and the types of things that they are facing. A lot of times students don't know enough information to formulate opinions or be an ally to others until they are informed about the types of things that go on. Information about LGBT youth also includes proper sex education. Discrimination against this will present itself in an unkind way. I was given the opportunity to learn about all types of sexual orientation and the issues each group faces. Having these types of discussions has helped me become more knowledgeable and given me the ability to inform others. I believe that education about LGBT youth and all youth really, is important to making sure that our students are okay and have allies within the classroom.
The gay straight alliance is one way that LGBT youth can feel connected and less alone in schools. Below is a link that explains the important of GSA
https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/Gay-Straight%20Alliances.pdf
Safe Spaces: Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT Youth by Gerri August
Gerri August begins the article by explaining the affect that classrooms may have on LGBT youth. She says, "Students understand that classrooms are not neutral spaces.. they are charged with emotion". This is true in everyone's case. It is impossible to keep emotion out of the classroom. Both students and teachers bring in personal issues, whether or not they share them with the class in another issue. Because it is impossible to separate home from school, there may be students present that are dealing with LGBT issues that the teachers do not know about. It's important to make sure that they feel safe discussing problems and opening up in the classroom. Not everyone will open up and if that is the case classrooms also need to be a safe space for LGBT youth to be. This means monitoring offensive comments and making sure that nothing said will result in harmful thoughts. Being a safe and open space is also about presenting issues that this group faces. The whole class must be informed about LGBT youth and the types of things that they are facing. A lot of times students don't know enough information to formulate opinions or be an ally to others until they are informed about the types of things that go on. Information about LGBT youth also includes proper sex education. Discrimination against this will present itself in an unkind way. I was given the opportunity to learn about all types of sexual orientation and the issues each group faces. Having these types of discussions has helped me become more knowledgeable and given me the ability to inform others. I believe that education about LGBT youth and all youth really, is important to making sure that our students are okay and have allies within the classroom.
The gay straight alliance is one way that LGBT youth can feel connected and less alone in schools. Below is a link that explains the important of GSA
https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/Gay-Straight%20Alliances.pdf
Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us by Linda Christensen
Argument:
Linda Christensen argues that "Our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them (children) how to act, live, and dream." She discusses throughout her article the affect that analyzing children's cartoons and movies has had on her students. They took the time to discover how racism and sexism are woven into the subtexts of children's films. With this came the idea that these underlying messages have had an affect on us since before we realized it. The media has fed us ideas and shaped us as individuals without us realizing it. One example Christensen gave was the idea of body image. She references Tinkerbell in Peter Pan. Tinkerbell seen criticizing herself in the mirror. Unknown was the implanted idea in young girls minds that their bodies will never be perfect. Christensen mentions how she wants her "students to question this accepted knowledge and the secret
education delivered by cartoons as well as by the traditional literary canon." Gender and Race have been depicted in similar manors for years and to think that it hasn't affected anyone would be naive. I believe that Christensen's main point is to question what the media presents to children and be aware of the underlying messages that come forth through analysis.
Christensen's point of view is not new to me. I was lucky enough to take a seminar class that presented Disney's role in the corruption of America. I studied the views that were presented in
children's films and read articles explaining different points of view. At the end of the course we had all been changed by the idea that our thoughts weren't necessarily ours and had been implanted over time by the Disney Corporation. It is important to question the world around you.
Below is a link to an article that contains information on the affects of animation on children:
https://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g7184
Argument:
Linda Christensen argues that "Our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them (children) how to act, live, and dream." She discusses throughout her article the affect that analyzing children's cartoons and movies has had on her students. They took the time to discover how racism and sexism are woven into the subtexts of children's films. With this came the idea that these underlying messages have had an affect on us since before we realized it. The media has fed us ideas and shaped us as individuals without us realizing it. One example Christensen gave was the idea of body image. She references Tinkerbell in Peter Pan. Tinkerbell seen criticizing herself in the mirror. Unknown was the implanted idea in young girls minds that their bodies will never be perfect. Christensen mentions how she wants her "students to question this accepted knowledge and the secret
education delivered by cartoons as well as by the traditional literary canon." Gender and Race have been depicted in similar manors for years and to think that it hasn't affected anyone would be naive. I believe that Christensen's main point is to question what the media presents to children and be aware of the underlying messages that come forth through analysis.
Christensen's point of view is not new to me. I was lucky enough to take a seminar class that presented Disney's role in the corruption of America. I studied the views that were presented in
children's films and read articles explaining different points of view. At the end of the course we had all been changed by the idea that our thoughts weren't necessarily ours and had been implanted over time by the Disney Corporation. It is important to question the world around you.
Below is a link to an article that contains information on the affects of animation on children:
https://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g7184
Sunday, September 30, 2018
"Aria" by Richard Rodriguez
"Aria" by Richard Rodriguez captures what it is like to grow up in a spanish speaking home but have to integrate into an english speaking society.
Rodriguez says, "Supporters of bilingual education today imply that students like me miss a great
deal by not being taught in their family's language" (34)
This quote is important because it's not how Rodriguez feels about bilingual education. During his article he addresses the fact that if his teachers and other classmates would have spoken spanish in the classroom he would have never gotten comfortable speaking english in public.
"At last, seven years old, I came to believe what had been technically true
since my birth: I was an American citizen." (36)
This quote had a lot of value to me. Although Richard had always been an american citizen he only felt that way after he was able to communicate fluently in english. It's easy to make non-native english speakers feel this way but I always remind myself that America is a melting pot and many different cultures come here to be free from what ever they are experiencing. Not every person that comes to America will speak english right away but that doesn't make them any less American. Richard should have felt american his whole life regardless of what language he speaks.
"Today I hear bilingual educators say that children lose a degree of individual-
ity' by becoming assimilated into public society." (38)
Richard explains this quote by talking about private individuality and public individuality. In order to achieve public individuality one must diminish their private individuality. I feel as though there shouldn't have to be two different types of individuality. A person should be allowed to have different parts of themselves. In this case a person can speak two languages openly without having to hide it or keep one at a lower level when in public. Individuality
is about being true to who you are and that includes different cultures and languages.
Below is a link to an article that explains 5 reasons that Bilingual Education should be allowed
https://www.theedadvocate.org/bilingual-education-5-reasons-it-should-be-required/
Class notes: This article gave me insight on the struggles of being a bilingual student. A lot of my friends here at RIC are bilingual and communicate to their parents in a language other than english. However, they've told me that they now feel more comfortable speaking english than their 1st language. I think it's interesting that America as a society force children and parents to integrate into our society by only speaking one language publicly. I believe that it is important to embrace what makes you different and celebrate it. I wish that bilingual education was more popular when I was growing up that way I could communicate with more people and relate to them more.
Rodriguez says, "Supporters of bilingual education today imply that students like me miss a great
deal by not being taught in their family's language" (34)
This quote is important because it's not how Rodriguez feels about bilingual education. During his article he addresses the fact that if his teachers and other classmates would have spoken spanish in the classroom he would have never gotten comfortable speaking english in public.
"At last, seven years old, I came to believe what had been technically true
since my birth: I was an American citizen." (36)
This quote had a lot of value to me. Although Richard had always been an american citizen he only felt that way after he was able to communicate fluently in english. It's easy to make non-native english speakers feel this way but I always remind myself that America is a melting pot and many different cultures come here to be free from what ever they are experiencing. Not every person that comes to America will speak english right away but that doesn't make them any less American. Richard should have felt american his whole life regardless of what language he speaks.
"Today I hear bilingual educators say that children lose a degree of individual-
ity' by becoming assimilated into public society." (38)
Richard explains this quote by talking about private individuality and public individuality. In order to achieve public individuality one must diminish their private individuality. I feel as though there shouldn't have to be two different types of individuality. A person should be allowed to have different parts of themselves. In this case a person can speak two languages openly without having to hide it or keep one at a lower level when in public. Individualityis about being true to who you are and that includes different cultures and languages.
Below is a link to an article that explains 5 reasons that Bilingual Education should be allowed
https://www.theedadvocate.org/bilingual-education-5-reasons-it-should-be-required/
Class notes: This article gave me insight on the struggles of being a bilingual student. A lot of my friends here at RIC are bilingual and communicate to their parents in a language other than english. However, they've told me that they now feel more comfortable speaking english than their 1st language. I think it's interesting that America as a society force children and parents to integrate into our society by only speaking one language publicly. I believe that it is important to embrace what makes you different and celebrate it. I wish that bilingual education was more popular when I was growing up that way I could communicate with more people and relate to them more.
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Kozal and Roose articles
Notes for class discussion: I have to say that I am not completely sure who or what Kozal blames for poverty in Mott Haven. I would like to say that he's blaming it on the community as a whole (beyond Mott Haven) for their actions and assistance in making Mott Haven the way that it is. The truth is that although Kozal had anecdotes throughout his article, it was hard for me to identify the reason he was telling these stories.
Link to reading: Jonathan Kozal "Amazing Grace"
The next time someone says 'all lives matter,' show them these 5 paragraphs by Kevin Roose has many powerful quotes that express what this article is talking about.
" The real issue is that, while strictly true, "All Lives Matter" is a tone-deaf slogan that distracts from the real problems black people in America face. "
This quote packed a punch for me. It directly relates to the article because Roose goes on to discuss why and how this is true. This quote wakes the reader up to pay attention for what they are about to read. "That's the situation of the "black lives matter" movement. Culture, laws, the arts, religion, and everyone else repeatedly suggest that all lives should matter. Clearly, that message already abounds in our society."
It is well known by the community that the laws should be upheld for all types of people. The truth is that this is not the case. Roose makes it clear that what people know and what they do are two very different statements. This quote helps set up the reader for the points that Roose will discuss.
"It's a way of dismissing the statement by falsely suggesting that it means "only black lives matter," when that is obviously not the case. And so saying "all lives matter" as a direct response to "black lives matter" is essentially saying that we should just go back to ignoring the problem."
This quote helped distinguish why its important that black lives matter exists. Yes, all lives matter, but everyone is not being treated the same way the the black community is and it's important that they have this movement so that other people recognize that.
Notes for class: This article gave me better insight on the difference between the black lives matter movement and the all lives matter one. It also helped me to realize how important it is that the black community has this movement and we can not take it away from them.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
"USA, Land of Limitations?" Nicholas Kristof Response
Reflection: Nicholas Kristof's "USA, Land of Limitations?"
Upon reading this article I didn't quite understand it at first. I read over two or three times before I started to understand how different my life is from the lives of those that Kristof is describing. He writes about wage gaps and the differences between people who were raised poor or born into families with money. He says,"Remember that disadvantage is less about income than environment". He writes a few different examples that explain that disadvantages can be related to undiagnosed health problems or even how many times a child is hugged. Reading that made my heart break. I never had to worry about those things. I came from a family that had enough time to spend with me and could make enough money to take me to the doctor when I wasn't feeling well. I was not at a disadvantage growing up and it has shaped the way that I've looked at the world.
Sometimes it's hard to admit that one is born with privilege but I know that I was. It makes me think about how different my life would have been if I was born into a different economic class. I never have to worry about if there will be food on the table or if I have enough money to put gas in my car. I'm lucky enough to have my grandparents help me pay for college and as Kristof says, it is because they did well that they are able to help me. I will never have to face the world where I won't succeed at something during my lifetime. I was set up to do well and that isn't true for everyone. I feel as though something needs to change so that everyone can have an equal opportunity to succeed.
Although I understand the basis of this article I'm not sure that I could highlight all of Kristof's points and explain the article to someone. It felt like he mostly had anecdotes with some facts sprinkled in. I'm interested to see what others from class took away from this.
information on the Equal Opportunity Act
Upon reading this article I didn't quite understand it at first. I read over two or three times before I started to understand how different my life is from the lives of those that Kristof is describing. He writes about wage gaps and the differences between people who were raised poor or born into families with money. He says,"Remember that disadvantage is less about income than environment". He writes a few different examples that explain that disadvantages can be related to undiagnosed health problems or even how many times a child is hugged. Reading that made my heart break. I never had to worry about those things. I came from a family that had enough time to spend with me and could make enough money to take me to the doctor when I wasn't feeling well. I was not at a disadvantage growing up and it has shaped the way that I've looked at the world.
Sometimes it's hard to admit that one is born with privilege but I know that I was. It makes me think about how different my life would have been if I was born into a different economic class. I never have to worry about if there will be food on the table or if I have enough money to put gas in my car. I'm lucky enough to have my grandparents help me pay for college and as Kristof says, it is because they did well that they are able to help me. I will never have to face the world where I won't succeed at something during my lifetime. I was set up to do well and that isn't true for everyone. I feel as though something needs to change so that everyone can have an equal opportunity to succeed.
Although I understand the basis of this article I'm not sure that I could highlight all of Kristof's points and explain the article to someone. It felt like he mostly had anecdotes with some facts sprinkled in. I'm interested to see what others from class took away from this.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
A little about me
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| My two parents and my brother |
Hi everyone, Allyson here!
There's not too much to share about myself but I'll give you the basics.
I'm double majoring in math and secondary ed, although I contemplate changing my major every time my classes get a little harder. If I were to change it, I'd most likely switch to being a psych major. There's something about the brain and the way that people act that just interests me to no end.
I've never been too athletic but my favorite thing to do is ride horses. I had gotten my first horse when I was just 10 years old and I've been riding ever since.
I spent my time over the summer working and teaching myself how to code. It doesn't seem like much fun but I had to keep my mind active and I did enjoy making money.
Along with working I spent a lot of time with my friends and my family. I value my relationships with people more than anything. Sooo here's a few pictures of the closest people in my life.
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