Thinking About Schools
Black grad student:
White people won’t listen to “Black Issue”… Either tuned out or cognitive dissonance
White people won’t listen to “Black Issue”… Either tuned out or cognitive dissonance
Black teacher on her discussions with white teachers;
Don’t listen, headstrong on their policies
Don’t listen, headstrong on their policies
They listen, but don’t hear… Also claim that white people cause damage to black students in regard to black issues(?)
Some blacks won’t try and argue with whites… And any confrontation will be met with cold shoulder
Creates “Silent Dialogue”…Whites believe that blacks believe their logic by being silent
- How can such complete communication blocks exist when both parties truly believe they have the same aims?
- How can the bitterness and resentment expressed by the educators of color be drained so that the sores can heal? What can be done?
Aspects of power:
- Issues of power: teachers + textbook writers determine intelligence/normalcy…Schooling correlates to high paying jobs/economic status
Is it true that you need schooling to be economically successful? Or need economic standing to be happy?
- Rules to participate in this power
DO you HAVE to adhere by these norms? Or are there some exceptions where you can keep your individuality?
- Success in institutions is predicated upon acquisition of culture of those in power… In other words, you are more successful if your mom&dad are/were economically successful
How true is this? This is considered a social norm nowadays… But I think it can be broken if we teach students that they can be successful so as long as they keep their drive. If they have no drive to succeed, or if they give it up in the face of adversity, they will not go anywhere. Sure, they may not have money, but money doesn’t always matter… Most of the time, you just need the right social connections—And they can be white, black, Hispanic, etc.
- Being told about the culture of power makes it easier to rise up
Have you ever been in a situation where this was proved to be true? Or do you think you can rise up without knowing about the culture of a certain institution?
- Those in power do not see the issue of power… They may feel that people of color don’t have roadblocks to gaining power.
I kind of see things this way, too. Some of my best friends are people of color and they have no issue in rising to power. People of today’s culture constantly express a disdain for authority and the institutions they run… And that is a problem. I understand that some students are economically disadvantaged and may not have access to certain resources…But that still shouldn’t stop you from becoming successful. I personally think the only person who can stop you from being successful is you. What do you guys think?
P.161…Issue with interviewing w/ John Gumperz. To my understanding, it sounds like the interviewee may have been unprepared for the questions that the interviewers had for them as opposed to the interviewers just being prejudiced. If you have any questions in any interview, it’s your job to ask for clarity, and repeat the question back to the interviewer so that you get a “yes, that’s what we mean” or “no, (x re-explanation)” then repeat the process until clarity is achieved so that you may answer the question appropriately. If you try to improvise an answer, you increase the risk of sounding ill-prepared.
For example, I work as a security officer… If I gave the impression that I knew the protocols that had to be followed, but actually didn’t know how to do, say, 1 or 2 of them, people (both the clients and my boss) would look down upon me for not asking for clarification and may fire me. That would go for anyone, regardless of race. What do you guys think?
“Many liberal educators hold that the primary goal for education is for children to become autonomous, to develop fully who they are in the classroom setting without having arbitrary, outside standards forced upon them. This is a very reasonable goal for people whose children are already participants in the culture of power and who have already internalized its codes. But parents who don’t function within that culture often want something else. It’s not that they disagree with the former aim, it’s just that they want something more. They want to ensure that the school provides their children with discourse patterns, interactional styles, and spoken and written language codes that will allow them success in the larger society. It was the lack of attention to this concern that created such a negative outcry in the Black community when well- intentioned White liberal educators introduced “dialect readers.” These were seen as a plot to prevent the schools from teaching the linguistic aspects of the culture of power, thus dooming Black children to a permanent outsider caste. As one parent demanded, “My kids know how to be Black—you all teach them how to be successful in the White man’s world.”
I don’t believe this is a “white man’s world”… Every person of color has an opportunity to improve their standing. There are people of color currently holding high positions. I think we are teaching children the social norms and habits that will help them be successful in a capitalist society.
163: basic skills should be taught differently… Because “basic skills” assessments are made by those in higher power therefore will not accurately assess everyone’s level of intelligence or readiness to advance. Basic skills should be more diversified such that it includes knowledge from all cultures so that everyone can be deemed “ready” instead of “remedial”.
How do we modify our pedagogy + curriculum to include & engage people of color in the U.S.? How can we get students to practice + maintain positive academic & social habits?
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
“To offer youth full access to power, then, we must understand that power is now based in part on one’s ability to communicate effectively to more than “standard” English monolinguals/monoculturals, who are becoming a shrinking share of the U.S. population. As youth of color learn DAE (and other dominant skills and knowledges) and maintain their multiple ways of speaking and being, it is DAE monolinguals/monoculturals who may increasingly find 90 Harvard Educational Review themselves at a disadvantage. CSP, then, is necessary to honor and value the rich and varied practices of communities of color and is a necessary pedagogy for supporting access to power in a changing nation.” (89)
I take it this means that if we allow people of other races/nationalities to keep their culture, traditions and language, while learning about the “standard” culture/tradition/language of the American Society, they will be able to fare far better in class in addition to society than if they had to just give it up. I think everyone should be able to remember where they came from and practice their cultural traditions all while assimilating into American society.
What are some ways that we as teachers can incorporate various heritage and community practices into our classrooms and curriculum? Would this be effective in increasing student engagement in positive academic practices?
Culture, literacy & learning
Statistics show that our schools are not performing well… And that white people are predominant in AP classes….And in lower-tier classrooms: questions are low-level, worksheets are only asking for factual information, basic skills, etc…
How can we increase the level of difficulty for lower-tier classrooms without discouraging them from academics in general? Should we perhaps start easy, and then gradually pick it up? Or should we start and end the class with the same level of difficulty?
What else can we teach students besides the content in our curriculum that can help them be successful in the real world?
teachers + textbook writers determine intelligence/normalcy…Schooling correlates to high paying jobs/economic status
ReplyDeleteIs it true that you need schooling to be economically successful? Or need economic standing to be happy?
1. I think that you don't necessarily need school to be economically successful. But I do believe that having an education increases the chances of you succeeding. There are outliers in every industry so it isn't a guarantee both ways. If you didn't have a ton of formal education then it won't necessarily mean you are guaranteed to fail. But at the same time if you have a master's degree, it doesn't guarantee that you will be economically successful. I just believe education will only increase your chances of becoming successful.
Success in institutions is predicated upon acquisition of culture of those in power… In other words, you are more successful if your mom&dad are/were economically successful
2. I think this has proven to be somewhat true in regards to education and success. Like I mentioned before there are outliers (rags to riches stories). But overall, I think that teachers understand that even though teaching is an important profession we have a limited impact. We aren't in their lives every single moment of their lives. The data has shown that the poorer a family is, the student is likely to suffer because of conditions OUTSIDE of school.
Some statistics from an organization that took data on poverty/income and the academic success an adult from these situations achieved. So I would agree with the statement that an economically stable and healthy family would help increase the level of success for the child.
(https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/65766/2000369-Child-Poverty-and-Adult-Success.pdf)
“Many liberal educators hold that the primary goal for education is for children to become autonomous, to develop fully who they are in the classroom setting without having arbitrary, outside standards forced upon them. This is a very reasonable goal for people whose children are already participants in the culture of power and who have already internalized its codes. But parents who don’t function within that culture often want something else. It’s not that they disagree with the former aim, it’s just that they want something more. They want to ensure that the school provides their children with discourse patterns, interactional styles, and spoken and written language codes that will allow them success in the larger society. It was the lack of attention to this concern that created such a negative outcry in the Black community when well- intentioned White liberal educators introduced “dialect readers.” These were seen as a plot to prevent the schools from teaching the linguistic aspects of the culture of power, thus dooming Black children to a permanent outsider caste. As one parent demanded, “My kids know how to be Black—you all teach them how to be successful in the White man’s world.”
ReplyDelete#3. In an Utopia, students should be able to learn without any influence on them from the outside on what to learn and what is deemed important enough to focus on. But this is not realistic and an accurate representation of our education system because there will always be some type of influence from the outside or our society to shape our education in a particular way. In my opinion, there will always be outside/societal influence on education. Different time periods of society will require and demand different things from our education system. For example, we are currently experiencing a lot of growth in technology. This will increase the demand for students in the STEM field. I feel like in that sense it makes a lot of sense to have some sort of influence in our education. But the outside/societal influence that is based upon race, color and prejudice should not have an impact on education as it is not right nor practical.
How can we increase the level of difficulty for lower-tier classrooms without discouraging them from academics in general? Should we perhaps start easy, and then gradually pick it up? Or should we start and end the class with the same level of difficulty?
#4. I think that in education, we shouldn't just increase or decrease the level of difficulty just for the sake of having the students at "the same point in the curriculum". In my opinion how you scaffold the class should be dependent on the students. If students are struggling then you should lower the difficulty of the lower tier classrooms. Even if the progress isn't at the pace you'd like it to be at, you'd rather there be some progress in the students learning even if it's slow. Some progress is better than none. Students are not machines. They do not all work and think the same and because of this, adjustments and changes will constantly be needed.
Sang Ahn
DeleteCI 414
9/23
Thinking About Schools- Aspects of power:
ReplyDeleteI think it is very possible to be economically successful without schooling. It won’t be easy, and will take a lot of work, but there are many people who live wonderful lives without school. This is proven true for people who can’t afford to go to school or even drop out of school. There are many job opportunities for them to take up and can provide for their circumstances. Furthermore, I think one’s happiness comes from how they look at the situation. There are people who have very little money, or low economic standing, and are some of the happiest people out there. On the contrary, there are people who come from high economic standings and are upset with the life they have. It is a matter of perspective.
Going along with economic standing, I think one can be successful regardless of what economic standing their parents came from. It is the amount of perseverance, or as stated drive, that one has that can make them successful. My best friend’s parents are not economically successful and that doesn’t stop him from what he wants to do. Money may be tight, but he is pursuing his dream and has so far, been very successful in his life.
However, there may be limitations in what is to be pursued. In the sense of schooling, it may be more difficult for the child to go to university because their parents aren’t that economically successful. Alas, there is always a solution and something can be done to help that child become successful even though they come from a low economic standing household.
Culture, Literacy & Learning:
There are many things that are not being taught in the classroom that are useful for the real world. Personally, I did not know how to do a lot of real world applications by the time I graduated high school. I did not know how to do taxes, how to build credit to buy an apartment, or how to cook to name a few. There are classes in some high schools like family planning and cooking, but they are not a mandatory part of the curriculum, as most of the time they are electives. I feel that there needs to be a class to help students become prepared for the real world. It should include skills in helping prepare for them to live on their own, as many may move out.
Along the lines of this topic, a book that I found useful in this type of idea is “Money” by Laura Whateley, which covers topics of student loans, housing, paying off debt, and much more. Topics that this book covers should be explained in a class to help students become successful as they go on to pursue whatever careers, or to have a basic knowledge of how to tackle these problems after graduating.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41210713-money
I feel as though in regards to how can we make education more accessible to lower achieving communities, without making it discouraging is a very difficult dilemma. Much of the advantage in education in privileged communities come from the home, which is only plausible in a home with usually more than one parent with enough time to spend educating their child, it would be very difficult to try to replicate this same at home learning in disadvantaged communities who for whatever reason do not have this privilege, the only plausible solution to me is to connect with the students with knowldge of their community and how the community interacts and learns, and from there hopefully accommodate your lessons to the specific student base.
ReplyDelete