• Author: Christopher Kliewer
• Title: Citizenship in School: Reconceptializing Down Syndrome
• Argument: Kliewer argues that the need to put people with disabilities in regular classrooms for atleast part of their educational day, if not all, is imperitive to their functuality in soiety, happiness, and acquiring of sckills. He goes on to imply that far beyond a "burden" to the room, all the other students could benifit form having the unique and sometimes alternate learning styles in their midst. He says we need to see them as individuals first, and people with disabilities second.
• Quote #1: "democracy can only occur when no person's voice is detrimentally silenced." Kliewer is saying that everyone's voice is important, especially in the learning envirement, and people with down syndrome are no exception. This really applies to all underrepresented groups, though, that by silencing anyone you are loosing a big part of what education is supposed to be about- learning about your world and learning to respect and appriciate everyone in it for who they are.
• Quote #2: "community acceptance requires oppertunities for individual participation in the group, but oppertunity cannot occur outside of community acceptance". This is where the attitude of teachers and students around a person with unique abilities really comes into play. If a person's pedology does not reflect the acceptance they preach, the room cn feel as cold as if the person made no outreach at all. You cannot look at a person and tell them that the room is open to them and that they are welcome in it, but put them where you designate and deny them equity, or opprtunities to cater to their abilities. Indeed, to have a person be a functioning member of a classroom, the room has to be open to them, both in though and practice, before they can start being comfortable with the idea of belonging and someday participating.
• Quote #3: "the presence of a thoughtful mind has been linked to patterns of behavioral and communicative conformity associated with competance in logical-mathmatical thinking and linguistic skills." This makes me think of how the childeren that "act up" are labled as "bad", treated as the "bad kid" and are forever carryign that stigma inside the room which is a detrimental block to learning and teaching. Everyone learns in different ways, and people with unique abilities make this more clear then anyone. There is a story furthur along in the text where a boy is asked to sort blocks and spoons. He sorts them by tasting them, and does the excersize correctly, but becasue he didn't accomplish it by sight, he is given a failing grade. We need to learn to appriciate that everyone has their own way of learning, and that this is okay, and necissary to the classroom envirement.
• My Response: I completely agree that community needs to be made to include everyone not just in ideology but in pedology, that poeple learn in their own time and by their own method, and that we can't deny people's idvidualism but must first see them as a person. I am a big fan of having all childeren in a classroom together so they may all learn form eachother as well as from the teacher, becasue they may, and ushually do, have hidden curriculums amoungst themselves that the teacher can;t teach, like the rues of society and making friends, that will help later in life. I was always unhappy, being someone who does not perticularly excel in the was tests assess my knowlage, with the fact that the whole school experience has become "preparing for the next major exam". Instead we need to learn to value our classroom for the uniquenss that every person brings with them, and access our student based on their ability to get something out of school at our her own level.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Diversity Event Write Up :)
>>>On Friday, April 17th at nine am one lone male strode onto the RIC Campus. By noon there were three of them, and by two pm there were seven of them. By eleven-thirty pm seven fabulous females walked off the grounds. No, we did not perform seven sex change operations, and these characters did not change from men to women, however they did change their gender identity. These men are always very feminine, and they wear their femininity proudly whether they act as male or female. But at least once a week they are heavily makeup-d, overly feminized, skirt-wearing, provocatively-dancing females. Why? You may ask, well, one because of the love of the performance, the freedom of expression, and the need for the spotlight, but under the love of the show there is a underlying message, and that is the political statement. They are not dressing as female and performing everything over the top for nothing, they are making the statement that “this is what society expects females to be”. It is a smack in the face of traditional gender, especially because its biological men that perform them. In most shows, there are also biological women that are acting as men. They over masclinize themselves, gabbing their crotches, emphasizing muscles and facial hair, strutting around being “protective” and “all-knowing”.
>>>It connects to many of our course texts, but the three most prominent may be Parker, Carlson, and Christiansen.
>>>Parker says on page one, “The first thing you do is to forget that I’m Black, Second, you must never forget that I’m Black.” This is one of the main underlying points of the act of drag. The first thing you do is forget that they are men, and hence accept them as being overly- feminine women, and the second thing you do is never forget that they are men, that this is an act of performance, and that they are performing the act in order to show you just how ridiculous gender roles actually are. The context is so in your face that you sometimes forget that they are actually bio men.
>>>Carlson says on page 234, “…space is provided for identity groups to form their own communities of interest based on a common, public culture that is continuously being constructed and reconstructed through dialogue across difference.” The context through which drag is usually preformed is within the gay community, by the gay community, for the gay community, be it at prides, at bars, or youth drop in centers. This is a community created within a community that, Carlson argues, makes it so that people outside the gay community do not get the benefit of the breaking of invisibility when these internal groups are created. However, me belief is that you have to start somewhere, and by starting in the context of the gay community and breaking that dominant gender ideology there, it is a good place to start and branch out. The RIC Rainbow Alliance on purpose did not make the function an event that was closed off to the non-gay audience. Whether they were successful with this objective is yet to be discovered, but the event has been occurring annually for the last seven years, and the hope is to continue it for as long as there is a Rainbow Alliance on Campus.
>>>Christiansen says on page 127,“ As Tatum's research suggests, the stereotypes and world view embedded in the stories become accepted knowledge. ” She talks about how the Disney movies portray roles and these are what are adopted, along with the rest of dominant ideology, to shape what we view as “acceptable” female and male roles and stereotypes. The point of Drag is to be outrageous, and throw people off their “happy, unchallenged, stereotype” ideology. Yes, they follow traditional stereotypes, but do so in the opposite gender identity, and do so so over-the-top that they are trying to prove how ridiculous the notions are to begin with.
>>>It’s not only in the course texts but gender, gender play, and gender stereotypes are all around us, and so the outside examples are limitless, but I will try to limit them to three. The outside sources that I chose are the series “The L Word”, the website “Stuff White People Like”, and the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence”.
>>>“The L Word” is a series that has had many criticisms, but it is a perfect representation of a challenge to dominant ideology. The notion that all lesbians are butch is one that is upheld by the dominant culture, and ALL of the lesbians in the L Word are femme. They lead “normal” lives, being married, dating, going through the same drama and daily experiences that non-gay people do. In the same way the drag queens at the show want to challenge your preconceived notions, the L Word seeks to challenge the view of “what a lesbian looks like, how she acts, and the type of life she leads”.
>>>The second piece I would like to focus on is the website “Stuff White People Like”. It was created to show the dominant stereotypes about white people. You always hear the stereotypes about those outside the culture of power, so it’s about time someone worked on the dominant. It includes such things as Facebook, Hummus, Halloween, and the Ivy League. In much the same way that the drag show is meant to over-do gender to throw in people’s faces how much gender is ingrained in us, this website goes to over-do things that are “white” and write them in ridiculous, parody form that serves to poke fun at white people. While it pokes fun, though, it breaks down the stereotype and challenges the ideologies that are currently in place.
>>>The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a group of gay men, originally from the Castro District of San Francisco, who dress in nun’s habits, put on over-the-top makeup, and do promotional events like “Butt Plug Bingo” to raise money for local charities. Beyond raising money, their “mission” is to raise awareness, and get people to open their views about people’s freedom, diversity, and difference. Exactly in the way that the drag show does, they want to challenge your views, not by scaring it into you or threatening you (*cough* like the roman catholic church *cough*), but by education you. If nothing else, to confuse your sense of “acceptable”, and open the door for conversation and discussion of this difference.
>>>The common theme here is that challenge to dominant ideology, that our society tells us what we are supposed to look like, how we should act and interact, and what is acceptable, based on our gender, sexuality, sex, race, nationality, age, ability, disability, religion, et cetera. The point that the RIC Rainbow Alliance is trying to provide for the college community by bringing the Drag Show participants “out” every year, is to throw this dominant ideology out the window. They want to open the community up to be challenged in a way that is entertaining and enticing, much in the same way that Disney does in every movie.
>>>It connects to many of our course texts, but the three most prominent may be Parker, Carlson, and Christiansen.
>>>Parker says on page one, “The first thing you do is to forget that I’m Black, Second, you must never forget that I’m Black.” This is one of the main underlying points of the act of drag. The first thing you do is forget that they are men, and hence accept them as being overly- feminine women, and the second thing you do is never forget that they are men, that this is an act of performance, and that they are performing the act in order to show you just how ridiculous gender roles actually are. The context is so in your face that you sometimes forget that they are actually bio men.
>>>Carlson says on page 234, “…space is provided for identity groups to form their own communities of interest based on a common, public culture that is continuously being constructed and reconstructed through dialogue across difference.” The context through which drag is usually preformed is within the gay community, by the gay community, for the gay community, be it at prides, at bars, or youth drop in centers. This is a community created within a community that, Carlson argues, makes it so that people outside the gay community do not get the benefit of the breaking of invisibility when these internal groups are created. However, me belief is that you have to start somewhere, and by starting in the context of the gay community and breaking that dominant gender ideology there, it is a good place to start and branch out. The RIC Rainbow Alliance on purpose did not make the function an event that was closed off to the non-gay audience. Whether they were successful with this objective is yet to be discovered, but the event has been occurring annually for the last seven years, and the hope is to continue it for as long as there is a Rainbow Alliance on Campus.
>>>Christiansen says on page 127,“ As Tatum's research suggests, the stereotypes and world view embedded in the stories become accepted knowledge. ” She talks about how the Disney movies portray roles and these are what are adopted, along with the rest of dominant ideology, to shape what we view as “acceptable” female and male roles and stereotypes. The point of Drag is to be outrageous, and throw people off their “happy, unchallenged, stereotype” ideology. Yes, they follow traditional stereotypes, but do so in the opposite gender identity, and do so so over-the-top that they are trying to prove how ridiculous the notions are to begin with.
>>>It’s not only in the course texts but gender, gender play, and gender stereotypes are all around us, and so the outside examples are limitless, but I will try to limit them to three. The outside sources that I chose are the series “The L Word”, the website “Stuff White People Like”, and the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence”.
>>>“The L Word” is a series that has had many criticisms, but it is a perfect representation of a challenge to dominant ideology. The notion that all lesbians are butch is one that is upheld by the dominant culture, and ALL of the lesbians in the L Word are femme. They lead “normal” lives, being married, dating, going through the same drama and daily experiences that non-gay people do. In the same way the drag queens at the show want to challenge your preconceived notions, the L Word seeks to challenge the view of “what a lesbian looks like, how she acts, and the type of life she leads”.
>>>The second piece I would like to focus on is the website “Stuff White People Like”. It was created to show the dominant stereotypes about white people. You always hear the stereotypes about those outside the culture of power, so it’s about time someone worked on the dominant. It includes such things as Facebook, Hummus, Halloween, and the Ivy League. In much the same way that the drag show is meant to over-do gender to throw in people’s faces how much gender is ingrained in us, this website goes to over-do things that are “white” and write them in ridiculous, parody form that serves to poke fun at white people. While it pokes fun, though, it breaks down the stereotype and challenges the ideologies that are currently in place.
>>>The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a group of gay men, originally from the Castro District of San Francisco, who dress in nun’s habits, put on over-the-top makeup, and do promotional events like “Butt Plug Bingo” to raise money for local charities. Beyond raising money, their “mission” is to raise awareness, and get people to open their views about people’s freedom, diversity, and difference. Exactly in the way that the drag show does, they want to challenge your views, not by scaring it into you or threatening you (*cough* like the roman catholic church *cough*), but by education you. If nothing else, to confuse your sense of “acceptable”, and open the door for conversation and discussion of this difference.
>>>The common theme here is that challenge to dominant ideology, that our society tells us what we are supposed to look like, how we should act and interact, and what is acceptable, based on our gender, sexuality, sex, race, nationality, age, ability, disability, religion, et cetera. The point that the RIC Rainbow Alliance is trying to provide for the college community by bringing the Drag Show participants “out” every year, is to throw this dominant ideology out the window. They want to open the community up to be challenged in a way that is entertaining and enticing, much in the same way that Disney does in every movie.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
For boys: be strong, For Girls: be pretty
http://www.oneaday.com/teen_advantage.html
this is halarious. Becca mentioned it in class- the one a day teen advantage vitamins. made for strong muscles for boys and good skin and hair for girls. are you serious? like really? wtf?
this is halarious. Becca mentioned it in class- the one a day teen advantage vitamins. made for strong muscles for boys and good skin and hair for girls. are you serious? like really? wtf?
lets all call in queer to work, cause apparently being gay is a diease! careful... you might catch it... the "storm" is coming...
Let me give you a hint, LGBTQ equity IS the RAINBOW at the end. SURPRISE!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp76ly2_NoI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp76ly2_NoI&feature=related
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Responce to Class: the What We Can Do:
This is so funny, becasue just last night i was sitting in the Rainbow Alliance offcie with Chirs and Jarod, and we had the door open, just chillin'. Now the office is pretty rainbowy and loud, its hard to pass by and not know what we're all about. Beyond that we are a fairly outspoken gorup on campus, our names and faces are our there, and poeple know us, so they know that we aren;t afraid to call people out on their bullshit.
So this person passes by the office, while our door is open, and she glances in but keeps walking at a steady pace, tlaking to her friend on the phone. And about five paces past the office she says, loud and clear "That's SO Gay!"
Well, Chris,Jarod, and I, in perfect syncrinization, all register what she said and sigh. It was the funniest thing- we all had the same reaction. All our work and this is what happens. What the fuck. We sat there tlaking about it and i decided that i wasn't going to stand for it. so i made a sign for the door of the rainbow office, and below is that picture. im tired of it, and we can;t correct anyone, but in our "safe haven" we got slapped in the face and it hit home that our work is far from over and there is a real need for us on campus.
Please, for me, whether you support me or not, don't intentionally hurt me. I'm not your stomping block, your punching bag, your worry stone, or your pillow. Pease dont put me down so you may feel better, don;t get high of degrading those around you. I don;t go around coughing "breeder" at you, dont cough "dyke" at me. I'm being mature, and i expect the same decency from you that im giving. Thank you.
So this person passes by the office, while our door is open, and she glances in but keeps walking at a steady pace, tlaking to her friend on the phone. And about five paces past the office she says, loud and clear "That's SO Gay!"
Well, Chris,Jarod, and I, in perfect syncrinization, all register what she said and sigh. It was the funniest thing- we all had the same reaction. All our work and this is what happens. What the fuck. We sat there tlaking about it and i decided that i wasn't going to stand for it. so i made a sign for the door of the rainbow office, and below is that picture. im tired of it, and we can;t correct anyone, but in our "safe haven" we got slapped in the face and it hit home that our work is far from over and there is a real need for us on campus.
Please, for me, whether you support me or not, don't intentionally hurt me. I'm not your stomping block, your punching bag, your worry stone, or your pillow. Pease dont put me down so you may feel better, don;t get high of degrading those around you. I don;t go around coughing "breeder" at you, dont cough "dyke" at me. I'm being mature, and i expect the same decency from you that im giving. Thank you.
Talking Points for April 21, 09
• Author: Allan Johnson
• Title: What Can We Do?
• Argument: Johnson argues that we need to make a difference in any way that we see fit. That this difference can be small or big but that if we can open our eyes enough to see the "culture of power", the "dominance hirearchy" and the "social injustice" then we have an obligation to ourselves and society to do somehting about it, to not sit silent and allow the cycle to perpetuate.
• Quote #1: "...unless poeple work to change the system that promotes it, personal healing by itself cannot be the answer." He is saying that this is a bandaid on a broken wound, that you can give a person a blanket but that doesn't change the fact that the government can;t find the money for heat, so they are cold, get sick, clog up the hospital, the givernemnt uses more money, has less to distribute, and the cycle perpetuates. It means nothing to appologise to one person for the tyranny of a dominant group, because, as he argues, it is not an indivigual vs another, but a power group over another.
• Quote #2: even though appologies at the indivigual level and blame will not solve anything, at the individual level we have to start to make a difference. "...individuals can contribute to change: by choosing paths of greater resistance, such as when men don't take control,a nd when women refuse their own subordiation." at the individual level we can act out against the cycle and everyone that acts out against it is acting to change and deter it. By walking over to my friend who used "nigger" in cashual conversation and stopping her and asking her why the hell she though that was appropriate or accepabel, in any space, was a change moment. It makes a difference, not just with her, but with anyone that heard me go over and challenge her, and even if they didn;t agree with me they heard my argument and why it hurt me.
• Quote #3: "no individual leaf on the tree matters... but without leaves, the tree dies." there is safety in numbers. The more poeple that realise that diversity needs to be at the forefront and that the cycle of hate and dominance is occuring and should be stopped, the less are spreading it. Every person needs to be part of it, and cnage will not happen overnight or completely within our lifetime, but every little but matters. Everyone, through speaking out, silence, or not registering that what occurs is perpetuating the cycle, is participating in the cycle, or breaking it. By acting or not acting you are still involved. Welcome to society.
• My Response: I completely agree with Johnson. Everyhting we do matters and everyone needs to do their own thing to participate and become part. I had a problem with the drag show in that our only professionals were all men and that they, all except for one, were white men. I made a mental note that we need to make more of an effort to have more diversity in our events next year. In my classroom, i plan to challenge the dominant ideology not only by what im teaching (cultures across the world through the eyes of anthropology) but by the pictures around my room, the projects i present, the flag i have, the languages i use, and how i treat my students. No one is perfect, but i plan to be very aware and try to create an envirement that is safe and inclusive for everyone.
• Title: What Can We Do?
• Argument: Johnson argues that we need to make a difference in any way that we see fit. That this difference can be small or big but that if we can open our eyes enough to see the "culture of power", the "dominance hirearchy" and the "social injustice" then we have an obligation to ourselves and society to do somehting about it, to not sit silent and allow the cycle to perpetuate.
• Quote #1: "...unless poeple work to change the system that promotes it, personal healing by itself cannot be the answer." He is saying that this is a bandaid on a broken wound, that you can give a person a blanket but that doesn't change the fact that the government can;t find the money for heat, so they are cold, get sick, clog up the hospital, the givernemnt uses more money, has less to distribute, and the cycle perpetuates. It means nothing to appologise to one person for the tyranny of a dominant group, because, as he argues, it is not an indivigual vs another, but a power group over another.
• Quote #2: even though appologies at the indivigual level and blame will not solve anything, at the individual level we have to start to make a difference. "...individuals can contribute to change: by choosing paths of greater resistance, such as when men don't take control,a nd when women refuse their own subordiation." at the individual level we can act out against the cycle and everyone that acts out against it is acting to change and deter it. By walking over to my friend who used "nigger" in cashual conversation and stopping her and asking her why the hell she though that was appropriate or accepabel, in any space, was a change moment. It makes a difference, not just with her, but with anyone that heard me go over and challenge her, and even if they didn;t agree with me they heard my argument and why it hurt me.
• Quote #3: "no individual leaf on the tree matters... but without leaves, the tree dies." there is safety in numbers. The more poeple that realise that diversity needs to be at the forefront and that the cycle of hate and dominance is occuring and should be stopped, the less are spreading it. Every person needs to be part of it, and cnage will not happen overnight or completely within our lifetime, but every little but matters. Everyone, through speaking out, silence, or not registering that what occurs is perpetuating the cycle, is participating in the cycle, or breaking it. By acting or not acting you are still involved. Welcome to society.
• My Response: I completely agree with Johnson. Everyhting we do matters and everyone needs to do their own thing to participate and become part. I had a problem with the drag show in that our only professionals were all men and that they, all except for one, were white men. I made a mental note that we need to make more of an effort to have more diversity in our events next year. In my classroom, i plan to challenge the dominant ideology not only by what im teaching (cultures across the world through the eyes of anthropology) but by the pictures around my room, the projects i present, the flag i have, the languages i use, and how i treat my students. No one is perfect, but i plan to be very aware and try to create an envirement that is safe and inclusive for everyone.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Talking Points for whatever day this is (tuesday, april 7?)
• Author: Jeannie Oakes
• Title: Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route
• Argument: The problem we are faced with is the issue of how to divide classrooms. To give the “smart” students their own classes and “slow” students their own classes or to mix them all together. Oakes argues that mixing them all together is the only way to assure that they will learn and no one will be unfairly disadvantaged, but that this can only be achieved by having a certain strategy in the classroom. There is a certain set of skills and type of learning that can be beneficial to everyone, and done correctly will have a huge impact on all students, but done incorrectly and practically no one will get anything out of the year.
• Quote #1: “Higher-ability students have teachers that are more enthusiastic, that make instructions clearer, and use strong criticism less frequently.” This is a clear denial of equity. Why shouldn’t everyone have access to the teachers that most love to teach? And having a positive learning environment is something no one should be deprived of, especially when instructions are clear, connected back to relevant life topics, and is more motivational in delivery. I know that I was always a high-achieving student. I was used to the positive reinforcement and clear instructions. Whenever a teacher wasn’t explicit, I would hound them until I understood the assignment, as I had been taught it was my right to be able to do so. If I got criticism, I could tolerate it, but if I got repetitive criticism I would clam up and get a grudge against the teacher and do worse in their class, not be motivated to do better.
• Quote #2: “…because (average) students are more likely to fail, they risk more by trying.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard students complain that their teacher ‘hated them’ and so they stopped trying in that class to ‘get back’ at the teacher when in the end the only one they ended up hurting was themselves (and I don’t sit here pretending like I haven’t made that same argument). This can happen very easily, starting early on, and impact the whole schooling experience. If students are reprimanded and direction not given clear enough from kindergarten, by the time they hit even third grade it seems like they have started to give up, like there’s no point in attempting school if they know they’ll fail. By sixth grade when hormones kick in, it’s almost too late to save those who now have been told ‘school is where no one listens to you and its impossible to succeed’ so why try?
• Quote #3: “Grades can be based on improvement or progress towards a learning goal.” Honestly I wish we could get rid of grades altogether, they cause too much stress and pain. For students like me, honors and AP classes in high school were a joke. I knew how to get an ‘A’ and did the minimum effort required to do so. In elementary school I remember getting fed up with English, (the only grade I ever got below a B in, indeed, I failed it) because I had ‘bad’ handwriting. I could read it just fine, and I was more then happy to type it for my teacher if that would make them happier, but they insisted I handwrite and mine was ‘too messy’. Instead of focusing on the petty things, we need to focus on the larger scale, on the learning envirement, and Oakes argues that it isn’t the envirement between students tht we should assess, but that that is from the student at the beginning to the student at the end. Or, how well they did on challenging themselves on an assignment.
• My Response: You know what I remember from education before college? We were always prepping for a major standardized test. From the CAT in 4th, 6th, and 8th. To the CAPT in 10th, to the PSAT in 11th, to the SAT in 12th, to maybe even the ACT’s if you didn’t do well on the SAT’s. You can’t get away form them! And we spent so much time focusing on the ‘prep for the next test’ that we never challenged ourselves or got life-rich experiences that supposedly people sometimes get in schools. Even a good memory I have a hard time finding inside a classroom before high school (and even in high school most times but that is why I want to be a teacher and make people’s experiences better and more enriching). What is to become of our schools when we have so much mandated curriculum that we forget to inspire creativity or motivate positive experiences and challenge people to push themselves? Well, I guess we see that already, with a good amount of students ‘burning out’ before college and a great deal more not making it through a degree program. If only they had taught us that writing the sentence neatly wasn’t more important then the fact that you could use big words and be descriptive.
• Title: Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route
• Argument: The problem we are faced with is the issue of how to divide classrooms. To give the “smart” students their own classes and “slow” students their own classes or to mix them all together. Oakes argues that mixing them all together is the only way to assure that they will learn and no one will be unfairly disadvantaged, but that this can only be achieved by having a certain strategy in the classroom. There is a certain set of skills and type of learning that can be beneficial to everyone, and done correctly will have a huge impact on all students, but done incorrectly and practically no one will get anything out of the year.
• Quote #1: “Higher-ability students have teachers that are more enthusiastic, that make instructions clearer, and use strong criticism less frequently.” This is a clear denial of equity. Why shouldn’t everyone have access to the teachers that most love to teach? And having a positive learning environment is something no one should be deprived of, especially when instructions are clear, connected back to relevant life topics, and is more motivational in delivery. I know that I was always a high-achieving student. I was used to the positive reinforcement and clear instructions. Whenever a teacher wasn’t explicit, I would hound them until I understood the assignment, as I had been taught it was my right to be able to do so. If I got criticism, I could tolerate it, but if I got repetitive criticism I would clam up and get a grudge against the teacher and do worse in their class, not be motivated to do better.
• Quote #2: “…because (average) students are more likely to fail, they risk more by trying.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard students complain that their teacher ‘hated them’ and so they stopped trying in that class to ‘get back’ at the teacher when in the end the only one they ended up hurting was themselves (and I don’t sit here pretending like I haven’t made that same argument). This can happen very easily, starting early on, and impact the whole schooling experience. If students are reprimanded and direction not given clear enough from kindergarten, by the time they hit even third grade it seems like they have started to give up, like there’s no point in attempting school if they know they’ll fail. By sixth grade when hormones kick in, it’s almost too late to save those who now have been told ‘school is where no one listens to you and its impossible to succeed’ so why try?
• Quote #3: “Grades can be based on improvement or progress towards a learning goal.” Honestly I wish we could get rid of grades altogether, they cause too much stress and pain. For students like me, honors and AP classes in high school were a joke. I knew how to get an ‘A’ and did the minimum effort required to do so. In elementary school I remember getting fed up with English, (the only grade I ever got below a B in, indeed, I failed it) because I had ‘bad’ handwriting. I could read it just fine, and I was more then happy to type it for my teacher if that would make them happier, but they insisted I handwrite and mine was ‘too messy’. Instead of focusing on the petty things, we need to focus on the larger scale, on the learning envirement, and Oakes argues that it isn’t the envirement between students tht we should assess, but that that is from the student at the beginning to the student at the end. Or, how well they did on challenging themselves on an assignment.
• My Response: You know what I remember from education before college? We were always prepping for a major standardized test. From the CAT in 4th, 6th, and 8th. To the CAPT in 10th, to the PSAT in 11th, to the SAT in 12th, to maybe even the ACT’s if you didn’t do well on the SAT’s. You can’t get away form them! And we spent so much time focusing on the ‘prep for the next test’ that we never challenged ourselves or got life-rich experiences that supposedly people sometimes get in schools. Even a good memory I have a hard time finding inside a classroom before high school (and even in high school most times but that is why I want to be a teacher and make people’s experiences better and more enriching). What is to become of our schools when we have so much mandated curriculum that we forget to inspire creativity or motivate positive experiences and challenge people to push themselves? Well, I guess we see that already, with a good amount of students ‘burning out’ before college and a great deal more not making it through a degree program. If only they had taught us that writing the sentence neatly wasn’t more important then the fact that you could use big words and be descriptive.
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