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I really enjoyed our dinner the other night and I feel like we all left feeling empowered.  The discussions we had really left me thinking about what needs to happen next.  We have made it through this long journey and we are now armed with the knowledge and passion to be agents of change, now we need action!  We must not  just close our doors and teach the best we can in our own classroom, that just isn’t good enough.  With all of the injustice out there in society and in the educational system, we must take a stand for what is right.  We need an army of dedicated and persistent educators that will not stop fighting for justice and our future!  If we do not fight to advocate for ourselves and our children, who will?

I saw a bumper sticker the  other day that said something along the lines of The world will be a better place when our schools have money for anything they need and the air force must hold a bake sale to fund their next bomber.

When I read it I remember thinking that hopefully with Obama in office we will start to see some changes.  It made me curious to find out more about his education plan and what his goals are for our schools and teachers.  Therefore, it was a fortunate coincident that we were asked to examine and critique Obama’s education plan in class this week.   When I was reading the outline of their plan I was very impressed because I feel like they address so many issues that we have discussed as being a problem in the education system as it is today.  For instance they touch on affordable early education and childcare, moving away from so much reliability on standardized tests, supporting high-quality schools (including charter), supporting rather than punishing schools that are struggling, preparing students for college and making it affordable, and drop out rates.   We also have spent much time in our classes discussing how big of an issue teacher training, recruitment, retainment, and mentoring is and Obama’s plan discusses all of that.

While it all sounds great, the plan does not lay out how they plan to implement or fund all of these huge changes.  It lists several great ideas, but does not explain how they will reach those goals.  It left me wondering how realistic it really is.

I enjoyed the discussion the Brian facilitated about Ebonics.  I had never really been involved in a discussion that broke down the actual rules and differences between Standard English and Ebonics.  So, it was very interesting and informative to me.  I definitely talk in an informal way and use slang with my students quite often when I am not actually teaching or facilitating discussions.  I also do not correct them by saying or making them feel like they are wrong when they say things that are not SE, I often try to offer them another way to say it by letting them know that in books, or when we are writing we will see it or write it this way.  That way they see that there are appropriate times for using whatever words, dialects, or languages they know and choose to use.

The 10th chapter in Oakes and Lipton about parental involvement was also interesting to me.  Throughout my years of teaching, I have had all different types and levels of parental involvement in my classroom.  Also in my master’s program at GSU my yearlong action research topic was about parental involvement.  I chose that topic because over the summer when we started the research, parental involvement was a huge concern of mine, based on the previous year.  Ironically when that school year started I had more parental involvement than ever before.  It is interesting to me how different “involvement” can look from year to year, school to school, and even parent to parent.  I make a point to get to know my students and try as hard as I can to let the parents know that I care about their child individually and want what is best for them.  As we discussed in class, parents concerns vary greatly.  Some are mainly concerned about academics, some about behavior, some about social issues, etc.  I feel as if my relationship with each family is on an case to case basis and serves to meet the needs of the child, myself, and the family.  Some parents need help finding outside resources for their family, some want to come in and help in the classroom, some need advice and tips on how to help their child learn or make better behavioral choices, and some just want updates of how their child is doing academically or otherwise.  Based on the expressed needs of the child and their families I do all that is in my power to help.

I found the history of assessment found in the Oakes and Lipton chapter to be very informative, and it helped me understand some of the trends and reasoning behind the different types of assessments.  I was shocked at some of the purposes of testing in the past, such as to “control the population of the feeble minded”.   It is sad to know that some of the basis of some currently used assessment practices arose from these theories.

The excerpts about how societies and schools measure intelligence in countries around the world that were in cluded in the Sternberg article were very interesting and show how important it is for educators to be aware that knowledge and intelligence are contextual and purposeful so we do not unfairly judge our students capabilities or deny our students any learning opportunities.  The assessment practices that they discuss and highlight in this article reminded me a lot of the 90/90/90 Schools research that we read for Diane’s class this week.  With all of this solid research done about the benefits of using authentic and dynamic assessment with timely feedback, it is sad that standardized tests control so much of our students time and guide their learning.

Sorry this is late, I could have sworn I checked to make sure it posted last week when I wrote it, oops!

The 2 articles about Ruby Payne’s Framework and the deficit theory she presents were disturbing to me.  It baffles me how someone could become so successful and well known with such classist and racist views.  As the Bohn article states, “Payne targets one of the largest, hungriest markets for quick fixes in public education: the ubiquitous and mandated in services organized and offered in every school district in the nation.”  So many people just buy it hook line and sinker without questioning its validity.  This is so true and, unfortunately, we see it as educators all the time.  I have become very critical cautious of the outside companies that get paid so much to present things to us.

The part of the article that lists Ruby Paynes “essential knowledge of the lower class” was unbelievable.  I would be interested to see the entire list from which the few examples listed in the article came from.  I would also like to know where she came up with these hidden rules and if they were based on anything besides her own thoughts and narrow observations.  It is terrifying that a so called expert on the topic of poverty could have such devastating views theories of ALL people living in poverty and how we should fix them to be more like us if they want a chance at success.

The article titled Social Class and the Hidden of Curriculum of Work was also very interesting to me.  I made me wonder about curriculum choices in huge districts, such as DeKalb, which has all different types of schools ranging from highly affluent to severely “poor”.  In our county the school board or district committee chooses curriculum materials (ie. Math Expressions, Scott Foresman, etc.) for the entire county and they are used in all schools.  Does this not happen everywhere?  Do the differences arise in the way the materials are used and the programs are implemented?

The schools described in this article paint a frightening picture of what may be happening in thousands of schools across the nation and illustrated how detrimental it can be to those students in these lower income area schools, no wonder there is a long standing cycle…

Throughout my journeys in this Eds program I have been challenged to reflect upon my thoughts and beliefs during discussions and while reading articles.  There are several times I can think back to where I was shocked and disturbed by what people have said simply because I did not agree with them.  I respect and appreciate this type of discussion because it allows me to learn about different perspectives than my own and opens my eyes to the many differences we embrace.  It is not that by being shocked or disturbed I judge the other person, it just is interesting to crosscheck others’ beliefs with my own.

One particular time a discussion arose about race, and I personally felt offended by what someone said.  I felt judged and as if this person was saying that some of my personal choices are wrong in her eyes.  I chose not to challenge this person’s statement even though my initial reaction was to question why she felt that way and make her see that it can be very offensive to others when people make statements like that.  I refrained from saying much because just as I have my own beliefs about this particular topic based on my experiences and background, so does everyone else.  Even though I felt strongly about what was said, I know it is not my job to make anyone see  things the way I see them.  I often struggle with that thought alone.  When will challenging someone’s thoughts or beliefs possibly be beneficial, and when is it best left alone?

I really enjoyed the article that Rhina posted for us to read during class this week.  I like how the author challenged the reader to step outside of their comfort zone and try viewing things and people from a less bias and judgemental perspective.  While reading it I reflected upon my tendencies while listening to people that have different viewpoints of my own.  I am surprised and disturbed by what others think and say pretty much on a daily basis.  The author explained that when you hear something shocking or disturbing it is a sign that you feel differently than they do about the topic at hand and by challenging these thoughts you can learn more about your true values and feelings.  Contrary to what the author states, I often know exactly what beliefs of mine lead me to be shocked or disturbed.  I often just question how or why others wouldn’t feel or think the same way as I do.  For example when asking a friend to come do something outdoors with me, she responded that she hates nature and outdoors… personally I know how much I value nature and outdoor activities and it baffles me how someone else can despise something  that I love so much… How could anyone not love the outdoors?

I really enjoyed the articles we read for class this week.  The Beyond Pink and Blue article was fantastic.  I loved how the students reacted to Pottery Barn and was impressed with their letters expressing their strong feelings about the gender biases presented in the catalog.  I also loved the “What everyone Needs to Know” class book idea.  I think this would be a great way for the students to think critically about stereotypes and biases that they have heard of and experienced and share their knowledge with the school.  I plan on doing this in my classroom.

While reading the Culturally Authentic Bias I struggled a bit with what the author was saying.  Where on one hand I am very aware that many books do portray images, ideals, and attitudes that perpetuate stereotypes, I also believe that those books should not be removed from the classroom and library altogether.  I think that it is beneficial to read those books and discuss the stereotypes portrayed explicitly in order for the students to be able to become aware of the various types of biases, etc. that exsist.  By exposing them to these stereotypes and haaving them discuss why they may not be true, or good, they will be able to  recognize them on their own.

I was fortunate to have an undergraduate university program director whose expertise was classroom management.  I feel as though upon graduation I was very well prepared to establish a classroom community that fostered mutual respect, a sense of shared responsibility, and trust which I believe to be the heart of “good management”.  I was provided with the tools that helped me be able to focus on teaching and learning rather than managing my classroom.  I realize now that not all teacher preparation programs provide that type of instruction. I am ever so grateful to Dr. Wolfgang for that

Many of the things I read for class this week were things already implanted in my head from my undergrad program and it was interesting to reflect upon the reading and evaluate how and why I do things certain ways in my classroom.  One part in particular that really caught my eye in the Oakes and Lipton chapter was the part about rewards and punishment and how the excessive use of them do nothing but foster an external locus of control in our students.  I remember thinking years ago how much sense that makes and how important it is for us to encourage our students to develop intrinsic motivation.  With the behaviorism approach, kids are not developing this sense of doing good for themselves because it is the “right choice” etc.  They are being trained to follow rules when adults are looking in order to receive a treat or praise.  This is not allowing these students to develop values that will last beyond an authority figure’s sight.  Should kids follow the rules because the rules make sense, keep us safe, and help us learn or to earn a sticker or candy?  This question seems easy to answer, but teachers must evaluate their practice to see which message they are sending to these children through their actions and “management systems”.

Although this letter in Friere’s book was a bit wordy and difficult to follow at parts, there were some parts that really interested me.  I liked how he explained the relationship between what we inherit and what we aquire and stated that “through education- also as a cultural expression- we can explore more or less the possibilities in our chromosomes”.  I assume by this he was basically saying that as humans we are prewired to learn but with education we can unlock/guide/mold what is there.  I thought that was an interessting way to look at it.

I didn’t quite understand what he meant when he was talking about how “impediments to our freedom are much more products of social, political, economic, cultural, historical, and idealogical” than of heredity. He stated that aspects of our culture “make us conform and get in the way of our being” which I can understand but it still doesn’t make much sense to me, maybe someone could help me out with that part… 

I really felt the part where he discussed how important it is for educators to be aware of our identities.  We must step back and be very concious of the ways we think, act, and what we say.  We must be aware of what makes us who we are and similar to those close to us as well as different from those around us. We must not only be tolerant but also appreciate those differences, rather than thinking we are somehow better than those different from us.