Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community by Dennis Carlson
This reading was a little too long, and it seemed like it kept draging. I did like some of the points he made, how gayness should be taught in schools, and should exist in the community. He wants everyone to be treated the same as people, and shouldnt be stereotyped as being contagious, gross, and all the other stereotypes gay people are called.He also states that it is the job of teachers and leaders to use the words "gay", "lesbian", "homosexual", etc. in their language, because it isn't something to be ashamed of just another aspect of life different from the "normals".
1.) "Much as communist teachers were to be drummed out of the teaching corps because communism was 'contagious', so gay teachers were to be fired because they too were understood as contagious" I found this quote very disturbing, i dont think that anyone should have to be treated different just because of their sexuality. Carlson got this from Waller, and he also said that "homosexual teachers were presumed to be lecherous and develop "rediculous crushes" on students." when Waller said this i got very upset. Just because a teacher is gay, does not mean that he's going to have crushes on students. Gay does not mean pediphile. i just didnt agree with any one these quotes at all, teachers should be able to teach without being catorgorized as contagious, thats truely awful id people think that.
2.) "The problem with the message, "be yourself", is that it fails to account for the fact that the 'self'' is at least partially historical, cultural, and discursive production, which set limits apon even if they do not determine, one's "possibilities of existence"." this quote was interesting, one cannot be themselve if they are gay because of the way they'd be constructing and disempowering identities. being gay was to be known as flamboyant, emotionally unstable, and a feminized male. If you weren't this things you weren't out of the closet.
3.) "The objective of classroom discourse is thus not so much to achieve consensus on "truth" or "objective" depiction of reality, but rather to clarify differences and agreements, work toward coalition-building across difference when possible, and build relationships based on caring and equity." I thought this quote was a good one, its really what teachers have to do in order to make the classroom a comfortable learning environment. they need to also teach about these differences so they can bulid relationship with each other about subject of gayness and multiculturalism.
This reading was not as interesting to me as some of the others. Carlson made some good points in it and interesting ones as well. but it just didnt keep my attention, i had to re read a lot of things, because it was so long and draged on. :(
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Talking Points #2
Aria by Richard Rodriguez.
Rodriguez is trying to argue that peoples identities can be changed from there culture in routines in daily society. When he was talking about how family traditons were practically ruined because of how the new routines are for the family. When trying to fit in with the culture of power, the family started to talk less and less because they didnt all speak the same language.Overall Rodrigues believes that a person should have pride in who they are as an individual, and believes the culture of power should change them over time in todays society.
Quotes.
1.- “We remained a loving family, but one greatly changed- No longer so close, no longer bound tight by the pleasing and troubling knowledge of our public separateness.” This quote said how they were a big happy family, until their son had to learn english, and be apart of the culure of power. In doing this he had less and less in common with his parents. It made him notice the importance of the english language and culture, that he was never taught to appreciate his own culture. Over time, he wouldnt talk to his parents, they lost communication. His father would not talk at all because of how he didn't speak good english so, he just stayed silent. "Though his english somewhat improved, he retired into silence." Talking about the father, and how he was told its important to speak english in the household. So when the parents were talking around his they'd have to switch from spanish to english. this made the father no longer to pass on his spanish culture to his kids, because they no longer talked.
2. "At first it was a game... each night the family gathered to practice our english... and we filled small gaps of our sentences with spanish words." This quote i thought was very interesting. To believe that the teachers actually told the family to start speaking more english in their home is to me like invading their privacy. The parents listened to them because they just want whats best for their childs well-being. at the same time, the parents are loosing out on quality family time, because now their children learned english, and doesnt speak spanish anymore around them, and they are the silent family.
3.- "But the special feelings of closeness at home was diminished by then. Gone was the desperate, urgent, intense feeling of being home; rare was the experience feeling myself individualized by family intimates. We remained a loving family, but one greatly changed. No longer so close; no longer bound tight by the pleasing and troubling knowledge of our public separateness."
Rodriguez expressed how tradition and family meant to him, and by loosing all of it, he felt that he also lost his family. Families should do whats best for themselves. If they want to learn english and help their kids, it doesnt mean that they have to in order to help their children. they should do what they want to do, regaurdless of the others peoples opinions. If they didnt learn english they would still be a minority, and wouldnt fit in with the culture of power. but however if they are breaking up a family in trying to do so, than it obviously shouldnt work.They shouldn't worry about just speaking english inside the home, while leave their other culture in the dust.
This article wasnt my favorite, it was kind of boring and i couldnt concentrate. The author tells how trying to fit in with the culture of power can make people succeed in life, yet it can also break up families in the process. For the father, he had to give up passsing down his culture to his kids, just because of how he didnt speak to them anymore because he wasnt that great at english. Rodrigues shows both sides to how it can help, yet hurt. He shows how people work hard and practice to accomplish these speaking skills and how people look at them and notice them differently and more respectively. I probably would be very nervous if a child was in my class that didnt speak english. i would be scared that they would fall behind and be classified as slow learners, just because they wouldnt understand what i would be saying. i'd most likely pull the student aside a couple times a week to work on the improvement in language skills. i would not want them to just drop their first language entirely, but i would want them to become a good bilingual student.
Rodriguez is trying to argue that peoples identities can be changed from there culture in routines in daily society. When he was talking about how family traditons were practically ruined because of how the new routines are for the family. When trying to fit in with the culture of power, the family started to talk less and less because they didnt all speak the same language.Overall Rodrigues believes that a person should have pride in who they are as an individual, and believes the culture of power should change them over time in todays society.
Quotes.
1.- “We remained a loving family, but one greatly changed- No longer so close, no longer bound tight by the pleasing and troubling knowledge of our public separateness.” This quote said how they were a big happy family, until their son had to learn english, and be apart of the culure of power. In doing this he had less and less in common with his parents. It made him notice the importance of the english language and culture, that he was never taught to appreciate his own culture. Over time, he wouldnt talk to his parents, they lost communication. His father would not talk at all because of how he didn't speak good english so, he just stayed silent. "Though his english somewhat improved, he retired into silence." Talking about the father, and how he was told its important to speak english in the household. So when the parents were talking around his they'd have to switch from spanish to english. this made the father no longer to pass on his spanish culture to his kids, because they no longer talked.
2. "At first it was a game... each night the family gathered to practice our english... and we filled small gaps of our sentences with spanish words." This quote i thought was very interesting. To believe that the teachers actually told the family to start speaking more english in their home is to me like invading their privacy. The parents listened to them because they just want whats best for their childs well-being. at the same time, the parents are loosing out on quality family time, because now their children learned english, and doesnt speak spanish anymore around them, and they are the silent family.
3.- "But the special feelings of closeness at home was diminished by then. Gone was the desperate, urgent, intense feeling of being home; rare was the experience feeling myself individualized by family intimates. We remained a loving family, but one greatly changed. No longer so close; no longer bound tight by the pleasing and troubling knowledge of our public separateness."
Rodriguez expressed how tradition and family meant to him, and by loosing all of it, he felt that he also lost his family. Families should do whats best for themselves. If they want to learn english and help their kids, it doesnt mean that they have to in order to help their children. they should do what they want to do, regaurdless of the others peoples opinions. If they didnt learn english they would still be a minority, and wouldnt fit in with the culture of power. but however if they are breaking up a family in trying to do so, than it obviously shouldnt work.They shouldn't worry about just speaking english inside the home, while leave their other culture in the dust.
This article wasnt my favorite, it was kind of boring and i couldnt concentrate. The author tells how trying to fit in with the culture of power can make people succeed in life, yet it can also break up families in the process. For the father, he had to give up passsing down his culture to his kids, just because of how he didnt speak to them anymore because he wasnt that great at english. Rodrigues shows both sides to how it can help, yet hurt. He shows how people work hard and practice to accomplish these speaking skills and how people look at them and notice them differently and more respectively. I probably would be very nervous if a child was in my class that didnt speak english. i would be scared that they would fall behind and be classified as slow learners, just because they wouldnt understand what i would be saying. i'd most likely pull the student aside a couple times a week to work on the improvement in language skills. i would not want them to just drop their first language entirely, but i would want them to become a good bilingual student.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Talking Points #1
Johnathan Kozol, Amazing Grace & Bernard Goldberg, 110 People who are screwing up America.
These reading were very interesting, and caught my attention from the moment Ibegan reading them. I think the author's point is to help educate poor/ minority children with a different kind of learning, beyond their influences at home, which could be really hard. When i was reading Amazing Grace by Kozol, I couldn't help but think how hard it would be for these children to sit in learning environment, trying to learn, with all this stuff going on in their lives at home. Teachers need to take all this under consideration when teaching children.
I read in Goldbergs writing how students don't like the country they live in. Teachers also seem to trash America as well when teaching these students."They take care not to offend America's past enemies, but don't seem to worry about offending Americans." I thing Goldberg is trying to say, in todays society, not many teachers have a passion for teaching, which leads to them always teaching how americans are offended(like in the quote). Which leaves the students with no positive influence on their country and heritage, so why should they love it and defend it if no one else is? Goldberg also talked about Johnathan Kozol, and how he is a fierce opponent of traditional learning, which he says deadens childrens souls. My favorite quote of Goldberg was at the very end, and I agree with it very much. "What will become of a country whose youngest citizens have been taught so little affection for it?"
In comparing the two readings, the younger children from the Bronx and harlem, are more of the children who probably dont like their counrty. They see it as their country isnt doing anything to help them. They have to live their lives always being afraid. I found it so interesting that "7,600 is the average household income, and only seven of 800 children do not qualify for free school lunches" that just amazes me that people really have to live like this. "More than 95% are poor" these statistics made me very depressed and surprised. With people being shot, drug addicts, prostitution, and fatal illnesses always surounding you in your community, I don't think i would like this country very much either. Thats where teachers have to come in and provide positive learning in to childrens lives.
Teachers need to know the background of childrens lives when teaching them to make it a positive learning expierience. Since the only other learning expieriences they have would be at home, and probably are negative and certainly aren't positive in learning how the world is. When reading Amazing Grace, I wanted to cry at times, really! When Kozol talked about how children cry and cannot explain why they're crying, and Asthma is the greatest illness amoung children, and how the houses are soo freezing in the winter, they have to sleep with winter jackets on and hope they wake up alive. Its just so sad. "When roaches crawl on virtually every surface of the houses in which many children live. Rats emerge from holes in bedroom walls, terrorizing infants in thier cribs" its just the most horrible way to live. And I still cannot get over that its reallly this bad in this part of NY.
I really liked how Kozol put so much detail in his writing, but at the same time its made me cringe reading it. It was such an easy read, and it caught my attention right from the begining with all those statistics. Goldberg however, was okay, but it was kind of confusing with liberal/conservative teaching and I dont know, I think I got the point of it, however I had to read it a couple of times. I dont think these readings were like other texts we've read so far. It connects with how white privilege is blinded, with what i read in Amazing Grace i could see connections between races. I also liked the little poem by Parker, I never thought of it the way he put it which was different and enlightening. Overall, all these readings were a great read.
These reading were very interesting, and caught my attention from the moment Ibegan reading them. I think the author's point is to help educate poor/ minority children with a different kind of learning, beyond their influences at home, which could be really hard. When i was reading Amazing Grace by Kozol, I couldn't help but think how hard it would be for these children to sit in learning environment, trying to learn, with all this stuff going on in their lives at home. Teachers need to take all this under consideration when teaching children.
I read in Goldbergs writing how students don't like the country they live in. Teachers also seem to trash America as well when teaching these students."They take care not to offend America's past enemies, but don't seem to worry about offending Americans." I thing Goldberg is trying to say, in todays society, not many teachers have a passion for teaching, which leads to them always teaching how americans are offended(like in the quote). Which leaves the students with no positive influence on their country and heritage, so why should they love it and defend it if no one else is? Goldberg also talked about Johnathan Kozol, and how he is a fierce opponent of traditional learning, which he says deadens childrens souls. My favorite quote of Goldberg was at the very end, and I agree with it very much. "What will become of a country whose youngest citizens have been taught so little affection for it?"
In comparing the two readings, the younger children from the Bronx and harlem, are more of the children who probably dont like their counrty. They see it as their country isnt doing anything to help them. They have to live their lives always being afraid. I found it so interesting that "7,600 is the average household income, and only seven of 800 children do not qualify for free school lunches" that just amazes me that people really have to live like this. "More than 95% are poor" these statistics made me very depressed and surprised. With people being shot, drug addicts, prostitution, and fatal illnesses always surounding you in your community, I don't think i would like this country very much either. Thats where teachers have to come in and provide positive learning in to childrens lives.
Teachers need to know the background of childrens lives when teaching them to make it a positive learning expierience. Since the only other learning expieriences they have would be at home, and probably are negative and certainly aren't positive in learning how the world is. When reading Amazing Grace, I wanted to cry at times, really! When Kozol talked about how children cry and cannot explain why they're crying, and Asthma is the greatest illness amoung children, and how the houses are soo freezing in the winter, they have to sleep with winter jackets on and hope they wake up alive. Its just so sad. "When roaches crawl on virtually every surface of the houses in which many children live. Rats emerge from holes in bedroom walls, terrorizing infants in thier cribs" its just the most horrible way to live. And I still cannot get over that its reallly this bad in this part of NY.
I really liked how Kozol put so much detail in his writing, but at the same time its made me cringe reading it. It was such an easy read, and it caught my attention right from the begining with all those statistics. Goldberg however, was okay, but it was kind of confusing with liberal/conservative teaching and I dont know, I think I got the point of it, however I had to read it a couple of times. I dont think these readings were like other texts we've read so far. It connects with how white privilege is blinded, with what i read in Amazing Grace i could see connections between races. I also liked the little poem by Parker, I never thought of it the way he put it which was different and enlightening. Overall, all these readings were a great read.
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