Down Syndrome

Connections:

The quote about Mia Peterson not being able to take classes she wanted because she could only take special education classes reminded me, right off the bat, about tracking. She could only go to certain classes because she was a certain kind of student. The last article, Literacy with an Attitude by Patrick Finn, showed us that the "smart kids" could be in "smart classrooms", while the "dumb kids" had to be separated. There needs to be some way to put everyone together and be able to teach effectively to all students no matter how they learn. I'm still unsure of a way to do this. (Maybe we can talk more about how we cater to every students' needs in class. I am lacking the understanding on this topic.)

I also see a little bit of Allan Johnson in this piece. Jason Kingsley says that "The challenge is to erase negative attitudes . . . [and] get rid of stereotypes . . .." We, meaning all people, need to talk about this issue and make it clear that people with down syndrome are human beings, too. They are capable of doing anything they set their minds to just like people without it. Like Johnson says, we need to talk about it! It seems like lately, that's all I can think of. Just talking about it. It may be difficult, but it is necessary and it helps everyone broaden their horizons, have less tunnel vision, understand the world through someone else's eyes.

Going on a small tangent, I hated the first day of class when Dr. Bogad said that we have to SEE race, gender, and the other major issues. I figured I was going to treat each child in my classroom alike. Well now I see that you cannot avoid these issues and treat everyone the same. This class has blown my mind and made me think of topics I would never in my life talk about. I realize now that I was afraid of opening a can of worms, where now I am excited to open this can and see all different sides to it. I am so intrigued that I am not afraid to ask questions that I would never think to ask before, in fear of insulting someone.

But back to this post. I can pick out authors from many things that I am involved in now, and for this I am happy. It is extremely interesting to see that this down syndrome article, and what the students said, relate so easily with other articles that we have read. I was looking around to see what I could find about children with down syndrome and going to a "mainstream" school and I stumbled on this website. In the summary it says that "Like all children, those with Down syndrome display a wide range of abilities." There you have it, in a nutshell. I know it doesn't have much to say but I liked that the author of the website chose that wording for this article.

Prep

So it only took me all semester but I finally finished reading the book Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld. It was a really great book about a small town girl from Indiana who goes to a boarding school. We read about her experiences with the school and the relationships she makes with her peers and teachers. The last chapter stood out the most and was most comparable to what we learn in class. I caught myself reading and comparing theories that we have learned in class to the book. There are comments about race and there are so many references to money.

Curtis Sittenfeld has also written a couple other books. On her website there is a biography and more information about her and her novels. I always like to read and it is even better when I can relate the book to my own experiences. Dr. Bogad has also read this and agrees that it is a very good book. When the summer comes, I cannot wait to pick another one of her books and read it! I hope some of you try it out and enjoy the novel as much as I did!

An Attitude Can Change Everything!

Connections:


Patrick J. Finn's "Literacy with an Attitude" is a powerful article that relates to many of the pieces we have read this semester. Within the first few pages, Patrick Finn had a Delpit moment about three times! Way to go Mr. Finn! I was definitely not expecting to like this article too much but it kept getting better as I read. There was also a reference to Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities. As I looked up this book, I first put the title into Google. I found a very interesting presentation. (I know it has little to do with "Literacy with an Attitude", but I was hooked. I also do not know how much credit this project should be given but it is from the Fordham University website. It can't be that bad.)

So anyways, Finn starts by showing us the different types of schools. In the working class schools, teachers would frequently tell the students to stop fooling around and do their work. Middle class school children were given a little bit more leeway and the affluent professional school children were given space to "negotiate" what they would do. The students would probably be asked if what they were doing was acceptable instead of being told that what the student was doing was unacceptable. This brings in the culture of power because the working class students were explicitly told, whereas the affluent professional students were not. Interesting. I wonder if Finn does shows this correlation on purpose. He must have been doing his research!

I also think that this article relates to Alan Johnson. 'Just say it' is how Johnson feels we should deal with controversial issues. With Finn's article, I feel that this is the same thing. We should 'JUST SAY IT!' There should be less separation between the social classes and more talking about it. If we just keep doing what we are doing we will never be able to fill the gap. Finn says "The idea is that if we could raise their level of literacy they would join the haves." Ok. So let's start by making sure that everyone understands the issue and THEN we can make sure everyone has the same amount of literacy.

In class we should discuss how we can tell what types of classrooms we are in now or how do we make sure that where ever we go, we, as teachers, can teach to the fullest.

Color Preference

Extended Comments:

Black, white, rich, poor. What's the difference? I would like to use Amanda C.'s blog this week as my extended comments. I know she used Billy's, but Her first paragraph was extremely strong. Amanda talks about how she has seen her neighbor go through tough times to keep their house. I know that this week is about the separation of black and white people, but this also ties into how much money a person or family has.

My family has been through hell and back, financially. I was always taught that I had to work my butt of to get what I wanted. I never could just splurge on something because I had the money or just because I wanted it. In my house, I learned the value of money, without a choice. Now I am not saying that I am dirt poor, but my family has come close to losing our house several times. I will never forget the week when both of my parents lost their jobs. The jobs that they had was just enough to pay for the house. Forget about food. They went grocery shopping maybe every 3 weeks. It was tough living paycheck to paycheck. This only made me work harder for what I wanted.

My town is not the richest town, nor the poorest, but it's school system is NOT good. There aren't many books in the school library, people have to pay an arm and a leg for sports, and there are NO buses to get to and from school. No, sorry, that's a lie. You had to pay $400 dollars each half of the year to take a bus. It's a public school. REALLY?!?! It was a white dominated school, but you knew that many of the kids had tough financial problems at home. I go into my service learning school and the kids are getting the same education I am. Yes, they are under privileged, but I would have to say, that would make me the same way. Just because you are in a white school doesn't mean that you have a better education.

I think that teachers become teachers to help their students to learn and make something of their lives. A school with all colored students can be in the same boat as a school with all white students. I feel, because most of the poorer schools are dominated with colored students, that that is where the attention is going. I am not looking for attention, but I am saying that there are more than just problems with predominantly black schools.

The New York TImes article is a really good one. It does seem that there are black schools and white schools. The segregation has never really ended. We just took that one more step towards equality in our nation with the Brown vs. Board of Education desegregation laws. It all goes back to being in a poorer school doesn't give the best education. "The current obsession with firing teachers, attacking unions and creating ever more charter schools has done very little to improve the academic outcomes of poor black and Latino students." This quote is perfect. I have little to say after this. I have run out of words to say. Grades and money, unfortunately, go hand in hand. It's almost like that commercial you didn't go to college, so you didn't get a good job, so you work that much harder, and the cycle continues.

Response to Service Learning Post

I am so excited that my blog this week caused so much commotion! Dr. Bogad told me to elaborate so I want to do this here. I also want to talk about Nick's comment about just talking to the congregation not being a change type of service learning.

The students who are actually participating in this event do not get the WHOLE effect of what it is like to be homeless, but they learn what it is like to not have running water, or food, and potentially little sleep. I don't think there are blankets either, because it is very rare to see a homeless person with pillows and blankets, etc. After going through this semi-difficult experience, the students go to the soup kitchens and help to serve the homeless. Now, at this point, they are seeing others and being able to try to compare their experience, and eventually make a change in homelessness. I would think that, with all this said, Kahne and Westheimer would agree that this type of service learning is considered change.

Telling the congregation about their experiences, is not the change type of service learning for the congregation, but the fact that these students are sharing their experience shows that they have learned something. Since they felt what it was like to be homeless they do not want to face it themselves and they want to help the current homeless people. I agree that the congregation is only hearing the stories, so it is only spreading the word. Like Mary said, the church has many resources and continues to do this every year, and every year there are more and more people who volunteer their time to support this activity.

Thanks Luke and Sarah for pointing out my favorite line, too. "Service learning, no matter what type, is beneficial for everyone." It is the point of the student to take something from their experiences. Whether they take action to change the problem or not, is their prerogative. But in the end, someone's life has been changed.

Service Learning

Reflection


Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer's "In The Service Of What? The Politics of Service Learning"describes two different types of service learning projects. The first one is more about charity and the other focuses on change. What the authors are trying to tell us is that there are two ways to help the people in need. The first service learning project got students working with those in need. The students directly helped the less fortunate, but never discussed or focused on the problems that got those people to where they are. In the second case, the students did talk about the issues and then work with the people who needed help. They also worked, throughout the year, in the classroom writing papers and relating topics to their service learning.

My church has a youth ministry group where students who are very involved in the church can go and be active in the church and the community. During Holy Week, these students, every year, fast for twenty-four hours and sleep on the church floor. They are trying to recognize what it is like for those on the streets without the full severity of it. At the same time, they are respecting the religion. The next day, these students go into Boston and work in the soup kitchen to help the people who cannot afford to support themselves. During the Easter Vigil, the students come into the mass and tell the congregation about their experiences.

I believe that this type of service learning is similar to the second case that Kahne and Westheimer describe in their article. The students get to feel a little what it is like to have almost nothing and then they go into the city to see what it actually is like. They take a lot out of their experiences and share them with the rest of the congregation, hoping that they will help those in need in their lifetime. This article explains the benefits of service learning amongst youth. It also gives information to those who are looking for service learning opportunities for more than just the young people. They have opportunities for parents and teachers, also.

Service learning, no matter what type, is beneficial for everyone. Some may take more out of it than others, but they still have the opportunity to help those in need. I am not sure what the authors' take is on this subject. Is one option better than another? How do YOU look at it?

Cartoons Promote Stereotypes

Argument


Linda Christensen argues, in 'Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us', that the media stereotypes different genders, ethnicities, and physical features. She explains that cartoons, movies, and even sports commercials show certain people in their stereotypical lifestyles. For example, Popeye the Sailor Man was a cartoon that explicitly discriminated against any other ethnicity. The Arabs were all shown as thieves and they all looked the same. And some of the things that the leader sings about is very inappropriate. About 2 minutes he sings about when things are quiet he starts a riot.

Stereotypes are always going to be known. This website explains many different types of stereotypes and it explains how stereotyping is such a terrible problem. Linda Christensen explains that in order to see how the media affects people in their everyday lives, the people need to acknowledge that it is a problem starting from childhood. The way to overcome this issue is to have students recognize this pattern and to make projects based on what they learned. They even had to say who they could explain to that there is a problem. 

Like Linda Christensen expresses, there are so many stereotypes and the only way to overcome them is by understanding that they are real and in the media. I find it interesting that the shows, movies, commercials, etc. all have underlying political and stereotypical messages. As a child, I never realized that the princesses were all beautiful for the one fact that a prince could only fall in love with a beautiful woman. I just enjoyed the movie. But now things are starting to change. And just like Dr. Bogad says, there was a pebble thrown at a window and there was a crack. Now the crack is getting bigger because more and more people are realizing the issues with the media.