some of my 2nd graders!

Talking Points (#10)

What can we do?

Becoming Part of the soultion

By: Allan Johnson

Johnson argues that they problems of racism, sexism, and any other discrimination issues need to be fixed and we just cant sit back and wait for change to happen. We need to take part in the change or else nothing else will happen. These issues will only change if we all work together at it and until then we will not see any issue get any better.

"Privilege is a feature of social systems, not individuals. People have or don't have privilege depending on the system they're in and the social categories other people put them in."

I really agree with this quote because I feel like being privileged is not about you as an individual, its more about the groups you are in and what makes you look better than others. Social categories can also determine if you are privileged and i don't feel that that is whats right. I do agree however, that is not about a person as an individual its more about what group you are in.

"Very often those who have privilege don't know it, which is a key aspect of privilege."

I would say this quote is true but in some cases may not be true. I feel that some people know they are privileged and act like it too. But i do feel that some people don't even realize that they are privileged. So yes, i would agree with this quote but there are some circumstances where this may not be completely true.

"When people join together to end and from of oppression, they act with courage to take responsibility to do what is the right thing, and this empowers them in ways that can extend to every corner of their lives."

I think that the more people who work together to make something happen the more successful it will be in the end. If we all put our minds to changing all the stereotypes and discrimination that goes on in the world today then we would be much happier people and everyone would be treated equally. I feel that some people are all talk, they say they want to change yet nothing ever comes out of it. I think it does take courage but if you put you mind to changing the way things are today then we would all be living in a better place.

I really enjoyed reading this article, i thought it was a good one to end the class on. We have been talking about these issue all semester long and it all connected. I thought it was a little long and i'm pretty sure i fell asleep a few times while reading it but overall i thought it was a really interesting article to read!

Talking Points (#8)

Citizenship in School:

Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome

By: Christopher Kliewer

Kliewer argues that all people able bodied and disabled are individuals and should be treated that way. We are all people and all deserve the right to be treated equally.

"Now we know that people with disabilities can learn and have a full, rich life. The challenge is to erase negative attitudes about people with developmental disabilities, get rid of the stereotypes and break the barriers for people with disabilities."

We all know that there are many different stereotypes in the world today. One common stereotype would be about the disabled people. We need to stop thinking like this because we will never see a change if we don't. We are all people and none of us deserved to get judged just because we may look different or we may not learn as fast as "average" person. We need to break these barriers because we are not treating everyone equally and that is wrong. Every human being is an individual and deserves to be treated like one.

"Success in life requires an ability to form relationships with others who make up the web of community. Though many of us have a certain level of control over who we meet and interact with, none of us can come close to claiming complete control."

I feel it is true that success in life requires an ability to from relationships. I believe this is a good attitude to have because this is how we form is good stable community. Everyone is different and if you just interact with people who have a lot in common with you, your missing out on so much more in life. We all have control of who we hang out with and who we interact with however i feel that everyone deserves a change and you could miss out on so much is you only interact with a certain type of person.

"Along with recognizing an individuals ability to think (Bogdan and Taylor) suggest that respect and citizenship require a realization of the person's individuality."

Once again I agree with that idea that we all deserve a change because we are all individuals. This means that everyone is different in their own way. Everyone person had something different about them and we should not be judged by these differences. We are all different however we all have the ability to think, this is was makes us people and we should not be put down because of our differences.

I actually really enjoyed this article. It was long, but it was very interesting to me. I think that i could connect with article because I see this type of stereotype in my own classroom. I have taught dance for the past 5 years and for 2 out of the 5 i had this little girl Katie who had down syndrome. She was the cutest little girl ever and she loved to dance. The one thing that bothered me was the way the other girls in her class looked at her. The treated her as if she were someone different. They could complain in Katie was in the same group as them, the never wanted to be her partner in class, and it was very rare that one of the girls would randomly start a conversation with her. I felt horrible about this but I didn't really know what to do about it. After some time the girls got used to the fact that Katie needed a little more attention and that she didn't learn the dances as fast but they started to treat her more like an individual rather than just someone different. Reading this article helped me understand a little more. And being a Special Education Major, I really learn some new and helpful information.

Talking Points (#7)

"One More River to Cross"-
Recognizing the Real Injury in Brown:

A Prerequisite to Shaping New Remedies; from The Institution of Education.
By: Charles Lawrence

Lawrence argues the idea what Brown really didnt eliminate segregation, and until we see change in our schools segregation will be a problem.



"There would be no final victory in their lifetimes. Each step forward was just that, a step. There would always be one more river to cross."
I really liked this quote because it brings up a real interesting point. Because we can make little changes and we can try and get rid of segregation but there will always be some people who dont agree and some people who will always rebel against it. There will always be "one more river" to cross because the issue will never be completely gone.




"Black children will remain 'less qualified' until we gain representative influence in both the institutions of preparation and the institutions for which they are being prepared."
This quote explains that black children will always be "less qualified" and that until we better prepare them, thats how it will always be. I dont think its fair for us to label back children as "less qualified" because this is not the case. If we keep thinking this way nothing will ever change. With this mindset, there will always be a problem with segregation.

Talking Points (#6)

Jeannie Oakes
Tracking: Why Schools need to take another route

Oakes argues that splitting students up based on their ability and level should be in all classrooms. He feels that should He fights that some children can handle it but others cant. He thinks its a good way to figure out a child's strengths and weaknesses. There is one argument however that states that it leaves children behind and that not all children benefit from it.

"In low-ability classes, teachers seem to be less encouraging, while students in higher-ability classes seem to be much more involved in their classwork."
I agree with this quote however i also disagree with this quote. I feel that is some school and classes this may be the case but i dont think its like that for all classes and schools. Not all low-ability classes have less encouraging teachers. I would fight this opinion because i dont believe it it true in all cases.


"Students need not be held back from ideas because of skill differences..."
I fell that this statement this true because not all children learn at the same pace and get the information right away. There are many different learning abilities in a classroom and not all students are ready for the same things.



"Higher-ability students are expected spend more time doing homework."
I agree with this statement because typically the higher-ability students are the ones who put in the most effort, and the most time on their schoolwork. I dont think this is always true because you can have a student who struggles in class but puts in the effort and the time into their work as well. I think it depends on the student.


Over all i thought the article was good and easy to read. It was short and kept me awake while i was reading. I think its good information for all of us future teachers to know :)

Talking Points (#5)

In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning
By: Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer argue that service learning should be in our schools today. They believe that service learning can be a great experience if it is done in the right way. if goals are set and we reflect on how SL should be and how it would help our community, it would make the experience more helpful and fulfilling.


"He argued for the creation of ‘miniature communities' in which students would work together to identify and respond to problems they confronted"
I think this quote explains a lot. I feel like Hahne and Westheimer have the right idea by saying that we all need to work together. If we all work together to identify the problems in the community, then we would have to do it all alone. I think that we are all confronted with many problems in our lives and if we just work together to get through them then it would make it easier on all of us.

“Maybe this community service is what citizenship is about, acting in a decent way toward people who live where we live”
I think that community service is a great way to help out everyone around us. Its a good way to get involved and to respect the world we live in. Community service a sign of maturity and strength. It shows that we care, and we are willing to help others around us. I feel like this quote meant a lot because its so true. We should all be helping others in any way that we can.

"Service learning makes students active participants in service projects that aim to respond to the needs of the community while furthering the academic goals of students."
I would agree with this quote because it states a good point. Service Learning teaches students how to help out in the community. It is helping the community and also teaching the students what it means to help out. Its a good way for the students to learn how to set goals. Its a good way to teach responsibility.

Talking Points (#4)

Unlearning the Myths that bind us
by: Linda Christensen


Christensen argues that children get all there information about what they see in the media. Even if that means cartoons. What she argues is that this information the children are getting may not be whats right. We need to teach our children the correct information and let them know that what they see on TV may not always portray the right information.



The impact of racism begins early. Even in our preschool years, we are exposed to misinformation about people different from ourselves.
I agree with Christensen when she says that racism begins early. I would also say that stereotypes also begin early. I feel that children get their information from the media, and they don't really understand why this information may not be all true. When we learn about people different than what we are used to being around around, certain views or opinions that are taught to our children may also we a reason why racism start so young. The people our kids are around influence our children as well. If the parents are racist than the chances of the child having the same views are pretty high.


Children's cartoons, movies, and literature are perhaps the most Influential
genre "read."
I understand where Christensen is coming from when she says this. This quote is so true because what they see in cartoons, movies, and in the book is really all they know. All the general information these kids are learning come from these sources. We as adults cannot depend on these forms of media to teach our children because they may be getting the wrong idea!




Turning off the cartoons doesn’t stop the sexism and racism. They can’t escape...
So, this quote kinda freaked me out. They cant escape, even though this quote doesn't sound true. I would agree with what Christenson is saying, she has a good point. Its not just in the cartoons, its everywhere and I think thats what she means by saying they cant escape.


I really thought this article was interesting to read. I realize that what is on our TV shows and in our mediea has gotten worse over the years but I didnt realize how much of a problem it is. Its causing children to stereotype and have a racist attitude at such a young. This is not good! we need children to be open about "different" people and ideas. Before I read this article, I never realized that the media played such a big role in the way children think and where they get their ideas from. We really need to stop these negative messages that are in the media because if we don't, no change will happen. The only way were every going to see change is if we do it ourselves and I think better communication between children and adults is what needs to happen in order for us to see any kinda of change.

Talking Points (#3)

Gayness, Multicultural Educational and Community
By: Dennis Carlson

Carlson argues that as teachers we need to accept everyone as individuals and also teach that to our students. Public school needs to be more open and accepting of people who are gay, bisexual trans gender, or whatever they might be. He also says that public schools need to make it OK by talking about it and making it a more comfortable topic to talk about.

"Throughout much of this century, the dominant idea of community in America was represented by what I will call the normalizing community." We are so used to our ideas being normal that when a different idea comes along we don't accept it like we should. This is how we think of people who are gay or lesbian, we know what it is know however were are not completely accepting of that lifestyle. I agree with this quote that "normalizing community" is what we are used to and when things change it is not ok because it is not whats "normal."


"gay people have for the most part been made absent, invisible, and silent ..."
I decided to pick this quote because I really agree with what he is saying. I agree with what he says about gay people being absent, invisible, and silent. This is true however, day by day this issue not not accepting people is getting better. Many years ago gay people could not come out because it was not acceptable to anyone, today it is more acceptable for a gay person to come out and live their life the way they want to. I feel like we need to be OK with the fact that someone we know or a family member is gay. It has been such a sensitive topic for so long, its time we get over this. Gay, Lesbian, Trans Gender people are human beings too and we need to treat them the way we would want to be treated.


"Within normalizing communities, some individuals and subject positions (i.c., white, middle class, male, heterosexual, etc.) get privileged and represented as 'normal' while other individuals and subjects positions (i.e. black, working class, female, homosexual, etc.) are dis-empowered and represented as deviant, sick, neurotic, criminal, lazy, lacking, in intelligence, and in other ways 'abnormal'."


I this this is a very strong quote. I would agree with him when he says that white, middle class, heterosexual, men is what is privileged in the world today. I feel like he has a really good point when he says this. I agree with with what he is saying although I don't feel it is right. I agree when he says that blacking working class, homosexual, females are the kinds of people that do not get privileged like they should, they are all people to and its not right for them to be treated differently! thats not right! and its not fair!!




I'm gonna be honest, I didn't like reading this article. It was interesting information and I learned a lot by reading it, But it was long, and I really couldn't get into it. I had to go back and re-read some paragraphs because some of them were just to confusing! Some of the vocab was though too! But anyway- i agreed with a lot of what he was saying and i understand his points. Even though it was not the most interesting article, it had tons of information and opinions in it!

Talking Points (#2)

Aria
By: Richard Rodriguez
Rodriguez argues that learning a new language can be an emotional step for some children. Its not always easy to be thrown into an English speaking school when you don't understand English very well. He also argues that it can be very emotional and challenging when the one place you feel most comfortable, which is at home, completely changes the language that is usually spoken.


"Without question, it would have pleased me to hear my teachers address me in Spanish when I entered the classroom. I would have felt much less afraid. I would have trusted them and responded with ease." Even though English is the only language Ive really ever spoken, I seem to understand his point. I really felt bad for him. It must be such a bad feeling to walk into a classroom and feel afraid or scared. You must feel completely out of place and lost. I feel like this quote really says a lot. If the teachers just said good morning to him in Spanish it would have made him just a little more comfortable. But this poor little boy gets called on all the time and is to afraid to say anything because he knows the class wont be able to understand him. And he says in the article that the point of answering in class is so the students can understand what you are trying to say. When he says, "I would have trusted them" I think that's really true because it would make him just a little more comfortable and it would make it a little more personal for him. I think part of the reason why he is shy is because he feels different than all the other students. If the teachers would just treat him like all the other students maybe Richard would have had a little easier time speaking in front of the class.



"At last, seven years old, I came to believe what had been technically true since my birth; I was an American citizen" I picked this quote because I feel like it is once of the more meaningful quotes in the story. I feel like this was a life-changing day for Richard. This was when he decided he was an American so he needed to learn how to speak the American language. I feel like this is what made him work as hard as he did. He realized that learning English was something that he needed to do and he needed to put his mind to it because it wasn't going to get any easier.




"We remained a loving family, but one greatly changed." This is a very powerful quote for me. I feel like he is saying this like he wished it never happened. I don't think it was easy for the children to stop speaking Spanish at home because that's what made their home feel like "home." I feel like that's where the children could be themselves and let their guard down. Speaking Spanish is what made them so comfortable together because it was something they all had in common. I think that changing their language to English changed a many things for them. It made them feel the same way they did in school, lost, confused, and uncomfortable. I think that if I was their parents, I would have tried to somehow speak both languages at home.



Honestly, I really enjoyed this article. I really found this story interesting even though I can't really relate to it very much. I didn't realize how hard it would be to completely change languages until I read this. It seemed like this was a very difficult process for the family to go through. I'm not sure I would be as strong as this family was if I had to go through that. I really learned a lot from this story. I like reading this because it was written on a very personal level.

Talking Points (#1)

Data show racial bias persists in America
Salim Muwakkil
Muwakkil argues that racism is still a problem in today's world even though not everyone is still seeing it. She uses many interesting studies in her article which really proves her point about how racism still exists.
"Racism is over, let's move on" After reading this quote I would agree with what Muwakkil is trying to argue. I don't feel that racism isn't a problem anymore because it still is. We wouldn't have all these issues between blacks and white if it wasn't still a problem. If racism wasn't still around people wouldn't make such a big deal about it like they still do today. So, after reading this article I understand where Muwakkil is coming from and she has some really good data to back up her argument.
"For us, the most surprising and disheartening result is seeing that applicants with African-American names were not rewarded for having better resumes." I think this is pretty insane, I honestly don't think it should matter if your black, white, or any other race. The person who is best qualified for the job should be the person who get its. It shouldn't matter what your name is or what color you are, everyone should have a equal chance. This is what went on in our country years ago and it should not be like this now. Every human being deserves an equal chance and that's how it should always be.
"White applicants with prison records were still more likely to be hired than black men without them" In my opinion, this is crazy. How could this be? You would rather have a white criminal than an innocent black person. It doesn't make sense to me. Why should a black person be turned down just because of their color? This is so wrong. I really don't understand how this could be true. It doesn't seem right to me to turn down a qualified black person just because they are colored and to hire a white person who has been in trouble with the law. I just don't think that is fair at all.
I really like reading this article, although it was a real eye opener to me. All the data this was stated in this article really surprised me. I've always known racism is a big issue in the country but i never realized that it could stop a more qualified black person from getting a job. I also didn't realize that your name had such a big impact on your life. Anyway.. it was a really interesting article to read and I did learn a lot from it.

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
Peggy McIntosh
McIntosh argues that we are taught our privileges from day one. And we don't even stop and think about their real meaning. We take them for granted and think that everyone lives the same life. Which is so not true.
"I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privileges" I think this is a very strong quote. It says a lot in just a few words. I also think it there is a reason why it is right in the first page of the article. This basically says that we don't even realize what we have or what our privileges are. We don't ever stop and think about them because that's all we know.We don't know anything else. We are taught our privileges and don't ever think about them again. I think that if we want change of any kind we need to realize our privileges before any change can happen.
"If unpacking this invisible knapsack of white privilege, I have listed conditions of daily experience that I once took for granted" I really like this quote because it shows how we all take things for granted. Everyone takes something for granted however, it may not all be the same. This quote also shows that McIntosh realized something was wrong and took the time to write down all the things she took for granted. She realized that is was wrong. I think everyone should do this. I'm sure it would make this world a happier place. If everyone could take the time to stop and think of everything we take for granted, i feel as if we would see a big change.
"Individual acts can palliate but cannot end, these problems." I completely agree with this quote. Yes, we as individuals can make some changes, that's how changes happen. But we as country need to make the changes. This is how were really going to see a difference. There are way to many people in the United States to work as individuals however, it's a good place to start. It we will not see the changes that are going on until we all work together.
I though this was a interesting article to read. It was different than I though it was going to be but it brought up a good point that I had never really though about before.

About Mee!

Heyy.. my name is Amanda Perry. I'm in my second year at RIC. I live on campus in New Hall. I'm an El Ed, Special Ed major. I'm from Bristol, RI. I teach dance. Ive been dancing for 16 years. I work at Coach in the providence place mall. I love to hang out with my friends. When i'm not in class i'm either dancing or hanging out with friends.. thats pretty much it :)