A Spoke in a Broken Wheel Freelance #2

-I spent my entire public school career in the Warwick schools system, from Kindergarten on. In the early 2000s when I went to middle school I began having some trouble with mathematics, so I had to be tutored so that I could catch up to the rest of the class. In my first year of 9^th grade which I believe

was 2003 I was placed in a class called Algebra Connection.

The connections class used high tech, new calculators to come to conclusions about problems and went at a slower pace, perfect for a student like myself who was proficient at everything else except math. I passed the class and then took a tutoring session to raise the grade in the summer. When I entered tenth grade I was put in the second part of the class entitled Algebra Connections II. The teacher was there for two days, then went on a sabbatical. For the rest of the year we had a giant cast of characters ranging from volley ball coaches to long retired history teachers being brought half heartedly to teach us math. Truly, we learned absolutely nothing. On the last day of the year the head of the math department came in and asked us what grade we felt we deserved, of course everyone said A's. The next year I was placed in Geometry the non-connections course. They did not use the same methods we did in connections and I immediately fell behind. Quickly I tried to switch classes, though it was to no avail. I had to stay in the class.

A year later I was called into the office with my guidance counselor saying I never took my first year of math. (The tutor never sent in the grade). I had to go through a whole horrible ordeal of locating this woman who I hadn't spoken to in years and having her send my grade in. It was not an easy task. I have not yet learned those math skills I should have in high school because of the strange way they did business. The next time I take a math class I will have to work extra hard because it was ignored in high school.

The "D.R.E.A.M" Act

"The purpose of the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, also called the DREAM Act, is to help those individuals who meet certain requirements, have an opportunity to enlist in the military or go to college and have a path to citizenship which they otherwise would not have without this legislation. Supporters of the DREAM Act believe it is vital not only to the people who would benefit from it, but also the United States as a whole. It would give an opportunity to undocumented immigrant students who have been living in the U.S. since they were young, a chance to contribute back to the country that has given so much to them and a chance to utilize their hard earned education and talents."

The DREAM is the newest form of education to make headlines. It certainly is a controversial issue since it deals with not only education, but the fragile issue of illegal immigration. I for one, agree with this act. I think it's a great idea because we have already invested with our tax money for these Illegal Aliens to go through our school systems, if they have done a good job then they have a few options. They can go into health care, the military or go to college.

Why not? If these people have worked so hard to get where they are now, then it is more than likely they will become contributing members of our society and economy. Here are some of the requirements if the DREAM act passes:

• Must have entered the United States before the age of 16 (i.e. 15 and younger)
• Must have been present in the United States for at least five (5) consecutive years prior to enactment of the bill
• Must have graduated from a United States high school, or have obtained a GED, or have been accepted into an institution of higher education (i.e. college/university)
• Must be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of application
• Must have good moral character

I agree with all of the qualifications. It's not like people will be able to come right over and enter into the DREAM act. They will have to be in the US for an extended amount of time. Another important factor here is good moral character. I think a lot of the time illegal immigrants get painted as bad people. Yes they are doing something illegal, but that does not make them evil or bad people. They often are doing this to help out their families which is how Italian Americans and Irish americans came to our country and state in the first place.

This is not to say I support illegal immigration, because I don't. But this is a way of dealing with an issue. These people have been here for years, gone through our school systems (which we and our parents have payed for) and now they want to go spend money to go to our colleges. I for one, hope that this DREAM comes true.

Education is Politics

I think that education is definitely political. Take a look at the most recent election here in Rhode Island. Governor elect Lincoln Chaffee was constantly being critisized for "being in bed with the teachers union" while others criticized him for possibly denying the "Race to the Top" money that the state won. These were huge points that were constantly brought up throughout the election, to say that the topic of education didn't play a big role would be a mistake.

Take the Texas text book controversy for example. It quickly became an old school south conservative VS liberal "anti Christian" issue. The text books made sure they put Barack Obama's middle name "Hussein" almost every time his name appears in the text, likely to draw attention to Saddam Hussein. Education is always political because it's about the future, and about that future is forged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJNPGNYuXP4

"To socialize students, education tries to teach them the shape of knowledge

and current society, the meaning of past events, the possibilities for the future

and the world they live in."

This quote is important. As teachers we will have to help shape not only the student his or herself but the knowledge they are receiving. We do this by giving past events meaning and showing them that there are many possibilities for them in the future.

"In addition, the way classrooms, schools, colleges and programs are gover

ned is political. Is there a negotiated curriculum in the class, or is a unilateral

authority exercised by the teacher?"

Teachers truly can be the proverbial Governor of the classroom, with teaching assistants the mayors and the principal the President. These forms of hierarchy are taught to kids at a very young age. I know that when I was coming up I knew that it was much worse to be get in trouble and have to go to the Principal's office then to just be talked to by my teacher.

Reconceptuliazing Downs Syndrome

I enjoyed reading this piece since I have spent a large portion of my life around people with disabilities similiar to and including Downs syndrome.

Years ago, in Rhode Island there was an institution called the Ladd School that many people from Rhode Island have heard about either from their parents or from the eery ghost stories that surround the spooky grounds where the now decrepit buildings lay. In the Ladd School, children and adults that in our modern times would be in special education classes were put into the institution, showered in groups with a spray hose and with chemical cleaners, had their teeth yanked with no anesthesia, among other horrible things.

The school, though now generally associated with evil, was not founded on this. Originally, the school was a farm house, where developmentally disabled residents of all ages worked on the farm and in the kitchen. With them being taught simple tasks and accomplishing them with astounding results. Soon however, the school became overcrowded and it went from a school house, to an institution that was truly a terror to many of those living there.

In my VIPs tutoring class, which is a special education class. I hear a lot of stories of the misbehaviors of the students from the teacher and just from the students talking. I can't help but wonder if years ago, these kids would have been sent to Ladd.

Basically, how this relates in my opinion to the article is that I agree that integration is very important. In my job, some of the smartest disabled people I work with are that way because they went to regular schools and were around people that didn't have developmental disbailities. It seems like it helps everything from learning to social behaviors. You really get to see things a different way when you are around other people. You get to see a genuine reaction to what you are doing or saying from a peer instead of an authority figure. So I think integration is important.

http://www.laddfilm.com/ladd/best.htmL

Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route

This article tackles a pretty controversial topic, the idea of tracking and segregating groups of students based on ability. I don't think this a good idea and I do not agree with it. The fact that students that need more time to learn get less is to say the least, disappointing. The article also discusses the importance of an important environment.

The article claims that in the "less abled" classrooms teachers tend to be less encouraging and more punitive. I don't think punishment, or excessive punishment is what those students need. Sure, maybe some of them need some firm discipline but I think we've learned in this class that it is important to accompany discipline with some kind of positive reinforcement afterwards. This is true in any job.

I liked the line the "rich get richer and poor get poorer". In this interpretation, the smart kids get smarter and the slower learners get slower. This has to stop since it's more of the same, and the same thing over and over again often isn't good and in this case certainly isn't, it's not giving everyone the same chance.

I think it is important to track the alternative choices and figure out a abetter way so that everyone has a chance to come out the same.

MacLaren

I felt the MacLaren reading was alright. The part I specifically was interested in was when he suggested that Black students need to adopt "white" stereotypes. The stereotypes white people have were categorized as arriving on time, doing well in school and other positive things. These are predominately good stereotypes, why do they have to be classified as White? I don't think it does anything good for any party involved. If you're black, it makes it seem like you have to drop your whole culture to change, or that you simply can't change because of the color of your skin, and if your white, it seems like you are the bad guy because you may or may not possess those qualities, though it is assumed you do.

I believe that working hard, arriving on time, and those other positive qualities that MacLaren mentioned should not be seen as stereotypes of white people, rather as stereotypes of a good worker, so instead of aspiring to be White, a Black student or Black person can aspire to be a good person, I don't think it has to be a race issue, though it is one.

A Particularily Cheap White Wine

First off, I like the title of this reading. I think it plays well off of the fact that the people he writes about in the article are white, whining and cheap (wanting people to give them a scholarship).

I thought the article was good, the facts surprised me. The fact that less than four percent of scholarships awarded in the US are based on race really threw me here. I thought for sure it was around fifty percent, but that's obviously not the case. It never really bugged me since I once applied for an Italian American scholarship, so I would be someone thrown under the bus by these "White winers".

I have to admit that I am sometimes angered when people of different races than I use their race as an excuse. There was an African American girl that I worked with that was not a good worker and was disrespectful to her superiors and co-workers. Whenever she would do something wrong and get reprimanded for it, she would say they are singling her out because "I'm black". That really bugged me because it was like an excuse. But what I got from this article is that all people of all races are not like this, they aren't using their race to get scholarships or jobs all the time. They are just trying to get by like everyone else.

In The Service of What?

The article is about how service learning can be a great experience for anyone participating in it. It's good for both the community and the student themselves to participate in a service learning program. In the article, some are specifically mentioned, such as looking at life in swamps or an oral history of their community. I think it's important for any student or person that is able to participate in a service learning project do so, specifically if it affect the elderly or the disabled. There is a lot you can learn from working with the disabled. You learn how to accept people and put yourself in the shoes of some one that you could never imagine being.

The article also states that the increase of self esteem is important as well. Self esteem is essential in life, it doesn't matter if you go into business, or education or any job. You have to be able to assert yourself and know what your talking about. To get experience in a service learning program would boost anyone's self esteem.

Cartoons

I thought the article on the media and how cartoons and other forms of the media influence youth. I was a big fan of the Looney Tunes when I was younger. One day I watched a video on youtube that was released during a time of war in the United States. Bugs Bunny was constantly calling a chinese man “Charlie” and harrasing him. While it was probably humurous at the time, and make the citizens of the US feel some pride for their country against the “evil” orient, nowadays this is completely unnacceptable. A lovable cartoon character commenting on race? It apparently happens way more than we think, and I learned that from this article.

Why Can't She Remember That?

This week's article deals with the complications that can arise in response to language boundaries. I thought the article was well written. It was interesting to see how the kids comprehend things differently. It was also interesting to me when I thought about people who spoke other languages. One of the first things I would ask when I was younger was "do you think in Spanish?" or whatever language they were speaking. It seemed to me to be that the reason "She can't remember that" is because she may remember differently in her own language.

Kozol's "Amazing Grace"

The piece we were assigned to read made me really appreciate what I have, and what I had growing up. My family is not rich, never were but we certainly were no where near as poor as some of the people I read about in the piece. It made me think about how things outside of the school or classroom can affect some one's learning just as much as factors inside the room.

The statistics were utterly bone chilling. The mere fact that there are 4,000 heroin injectors, AIDS infections, the parts about the horrible cold and hellish heat painted a heavy picture. If this is what these children are dealing with in their personal lives, then you must know how to approach them so they can actually learn and get out of these black holes.

The aforementioned thought is probably what I gathered most from the reading, and what I expect to learn from this class. When I was in school, I knew free and reduced lunches existed, but I never truly knew what laid beyond that. That it wasn't just free lunch because they didn't feel like paying, it was because the kid was a part of a struggling family in a struggling neighborhood.

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