Blog Post #11

Empowering Education: Education is Politics
Ira Shor

QUOTES

"He urged teachers to encourage students to question their experience in school: 'You must arouse children's curiosity and make them think about school. For example, it's very important to begin the school year with a discussion of why we go to school. Why does the government force us to go to school?'"

I thought this quote was so powerful, and I really like the idea of doing this once I have my own classroom.  Most times students will respond by saying "Because they have to be here" or "Because my parents make me."  But if you can get them to think beyond this and encourage them to realize how much education can help them in their lives, then they will want to learn and be motivated to do their best.  When I was in school I had a similar attitude of "Why am I even learning this" or "when am I ever going to use this".  It wasn't until one of my math teachers explained to me how math (and other subjects) can be applied to other institutions and in everyday lives.  When I understood this concept I was more apt to pay attention and learn.

"In making these choices, many teachers are unhappy with the limits of the traditional curriculum and do what they can to teach creatively and critically."

I chose this quote because I believe more teachers need to be doing this, teaching creatively and critically.  With so much pressure from the state and town boards of education, teachers are feeling pressed to stick to the strict, boring, and dry curriculum set out for them.  A good teacher takes the curriculum and molds it into something creative and effective for the students.  Being a good teacher means breaking the mold and pushing the boundary.  It is sad, to me, to think that teachers are discouraged from deviating from the system and being creative.  How are students expected to be creative when their teachers themselves cannot be.  Creativity creates an open stage for learning, and opportunities for students to have "self-discoveries" about their education and the topics they are studying.

"A curriculum that avoids questioning school and society is not, as is commonly supposed, politically neutral. It cuts off the students' develop­ment as critical thinkers about their world."


I really like this quote, and I agree with what it is saying.  Students need to be exposed to the world around them.  Not all families discuss current events at home, and schools should give the opportunities for students to be exposed to it.  Students who graduate who know little about what is happening in the world they live in are ones that have been failed by their school system.  How can a student be a contributing member to a community when they are unaware of the issues and events occurring around them.  Teachers should allow time for current national and global issues within their class.  It is possible, believe it or not, to incorporate this aspect of class to the traditional curriculum which is mandated.  I think schools play it safe, to avoid debates and outbreaks, by avoiding certain topics all together. 

http://www.dailytargum.com/article/2014/11/professors-integrate-current-events-into-curriculum

Blog Post #10

Citizenship in Schools
Kliewer

REFLECTION

Reading this article made me think about my experiences in school with children who had disabilities.  I can remember specifically when I was in the first grade, a boy named Tim was in my class.  Tim and I became best friends, and I mean we were always together.  We ate lunch together, played at recess, and sat next to each other in class.  Tim and I remained friends all through elementary school, having almost the same teacher each year, except for two out of the five years.  You may not know it from the description I provided, but Tim had down syndrome.  In elementary school Tim was very rarely removed from our class, from what I can remember, and always in some way participated in the activity we were performing in class.  In middle school, I began to lose touch with Tim because he began to be removed from certain classes in order to take separate ones for students who needed more assistance or had a disability.  As we passed on to high school, the same thing happened except even more frequently.  Tim was barely in any classes as the other students without disabilities and most of his day was spent in the life-skills classroom.  Physical education, and art are the only classes that I can remember that Tim participated in with students who did not have a disability.

From my experience and friendship with Tim, I learned a lot about myself and him as well.  Being friends with Tim taught me how to accept others, understand that people are different from on another and that does not make them any less or more of person than the other.  If Tim was never included in my elementary school classes we most likely would not have become friends, and we would not have learned from each other.  Inclusion in classrooms is extremely important for not only the student being included but also the rest of the class.  Not only can those students with disabilities learn from the others, more importantly and I think more often the rest of the class learns from that individual.

The Whiteness Project

Inside The White/ Caucasian Box


The Whiteness Project created a documentary, which interviewed various white people asking them to discuss their racial identity as being white.  Each interview was only about a minute and a half, but the responses of some of the interviewees were very interesting.  Many of them said they felt no privilege for being white, or didn't consider being white an advantage to them at all.  Another common response that I noticed from some of the interviewees was that they felt at a disadvantage by being white.  Every interview ends with a statistic, or data point of some kind that shows that although these interviewees words seem out of the ordinary, they really are more common to mainstream Americans.

One man mentioned how despite his high scores on the test for a trade job, he was denied the job because "the business needed to fill the minority quota."  It was for this reason that he feels whites are now being discriminated against more than other minority groups.

Another man begins his interview by saying "Your color means absolutely nothing to me," and he goes on to say that he "does not by into the nonsense about discrimination."  This man was dressed in doctor/ nurse scrubs, which i found interesting because of the way he was responding to the interview.  It reminded me of one of our readings "The Culture of Power".  If this man is in fact a doctor or even a medical nurse, he experiences the privileges of being upper-class.  Often times, those  who are of high socioeconomic status have the ability to avoid or ignore racial issues.  This to me seemed like an odd response, especially because of the world we live in today.  I feel that no matter how hard you try to avoid talking about race or exposing yourself to it, in fact you cannot.  This man seems to be very ignorant to the idea of racism and discrimination.

A third man explains why he does not feel as though he has benefitted from being white.  He grew up in a poor family, with a father who worked in a factory until he lost his job.  However, despite his struggles growing up he discusses how he has finally begun to crawl out of that hole, with a well paying job of his own.  At the end of his interview a statistic stated that "53% of blacks born in the lowest 20% of income will remain in that category, compared to 33% of whites".  Before I even got to the end of this interview, I thought to myself how most times, whites are able to work their way up through the social class hierarchy whereas blacks are not.  Despite this man saying he did not feel as if he received any privileges from being white, his ability to work his way out of being in the lower social class is one in itself.

An interview with one woman brought up another interesting point, which I had not thought about.  She discusses how when you are talking with others about how they classify themselves, most do no say I am white.  The more common answer is Italian, English, Irish, French, etc.  The only time she considers herself "white" is when she is checking a box on some sort of government form.  All other times, she refers to herself, as do many others, in ethnic terms.

An interesting interview with another woman who has tattoos and piercings, brings up the issue of being discriminated against even if you are white.  She talks about how she feels discriminated against, as a white female, due to her visible tattoos, and piercings.  She feels as though she receives the same "stares and glares" as any other racial minority.  She does not think of herself as a normal white woman, she in fact considers herself to be a minority.

One interview really shocked me as I watched it.  It was a white man who did not feel as though he benefitted from being white, and as a result of the civil rights movement, other minorities receive more benefit than he does.  He then goes on to say "For some reason, some black people kind of hold on to the, uh, back in the day, the whole slave thing." When he said this I could not believe he referred to slavery as "the slave thing" as if it were not a huge part of our countries history.  His main argument is that "we" do not owe black people anything for slavery, because it did not involve them or even himself.  This was just a response I was not expecting to hear, but that shows the way this man, who is not unlike other whites, feels about race and discrimination.


As a viewer of these various interviews, I found this extremely interesting because there had never been anything done like it before.  Most times when race comes up as a topic of conversation, it is how minorities feel as though they are at a disadvantage compared to whites.  It is very rare, that whites are asked how they feel they are perceived.  This reminds me of "The Silenced Dialogue" reading we did in class.  Until this project started, there has not been many, if any, done like it.  Whites are not usually asked how they feel about the topic of race or how they feel they either benefit or do not benefit from being white.

An Interesting Article I Found

In the beginning of November Time Magazine published a cover and full story about teacher tenure.

The link i am posting is one response from an assistant principle in Virginia, who criticizes the article and describes what it is really like to be a public school educator today.  I thought you guys might like to read.

http://leading-by-example.blogspot.com/2014/11/dear-time-magazine.html?m=1

And here is the link to the full Time Magazine article.
http://time.com/3533556/the-war-on-teacher-tenure/

Blog Post #9

Literacy with an Attitude
Patrick Finn

ARGUMENT

In "Literacy with an Attitude" the author, Patrick Finn, that students are being educated differently based on their social standing, and the social standing of the school they attend.  He goes on to describe how different the experiences were when fifth grade classrooms were observed in an executive elite school, an affluent professional school, a middle-class school, and two working- class schools.  There were differences so visibly obvious in all the schools, starting from the teachers and going all the way down to the lessons being taught.  The teachers in the executive elite school and affluent school tended to be from the same neighborhood and areas as the students.  Conversely the teachers in middle-class and especially working-class schools were from other towns and areas different from their students.  Another difference was the way in which students were being taught.  Those in the middle and lower-class schools were being taught to spit back the information they learned using methods such as multiple choice, one or two word answers, and fill in the blank.  These students were not being taught the ways in which the information they were learning connected to their lives in the outside world.  In the upper-class and elite schools however, these students were encouraged to learn through discussion and make connections to the world around them.  The teachers and administrators in the lower-class schools did not believe their students were capable of making these same types of connections and discussions.  The result of this leads to virtually no change at all.  Students of the upper-class system will go on to live the type of life they grew up living, and unfortunately for those students in the lower-class system they will as well.

The lack of belief teachers and administrators have in these children about their abilities and possibilities is very sad.  It should not be up to the teacher to decide a student's capabilities and their possibilities in life.  It is the job of the teacher to give every student a fair and equal opportunity to become well educated and a productive member of society when they leave the walls of their school. Too often students are lumped into a category based on assumptions that do not apply to all students.  To limit the knowledge being given to a student is wrong and needs to be changed in many school systems throughout the country.


Points to bring up in class: How can we as future educators help put an end to this style of teaching?
Student's futures should not be predetermined by their educators, we should help them reach their goals and aspire for them to achieve more than they think they will.

Blog Post #8

Becoming Something Different
Fairbanks, Crooks

CONNECTIONS

This reading really made me think about a lot of other readings we have done in class.  The culture of power, white privilege and the silenced dialogue are a few.  I related this to the culture of power because Esme’s teachers used their power to place her in which classes they believed she belonged in without really knowing.  As a student Esme did not really have much of a say in where they placed her, especially when she was in the earlier grades.  It was not until she got older that she began to take control of her own education by realizing where she should really be placed.  

I also connected this reading to the reading on white privilege.  In this case however, Esme’s nationality caused her to be labeled and underprivileged.  She was denied the privilege to be placed in the appropriate classes, or challenging classes because she was assumed to be a “not so smart student”.  Her guidance counselors and school officials also used their privileges to decide for Esme as to where she would be placed in class.  

The last reading it made me think of was the Silenced Dialogue.  I think this reading is an excellent example of how easily someone, especially a student with realistically no power, can be silenced.  It was not until Esme really made her feelings and thoughts heard that she was set free from the silence she had been subjected to for so long.  Silencing students happens all too often.  Teachers assume students are unable to make decisions for themselves, or find it absurd that students might actually know what it is they need for their education.  I think that sometimes teachers and administrators get so caught up in viewing the school as a whole that they forget to focus on each individual.  Not all students learn and perform the same way, just as they do no learn at the same levels at the same speed.  It is important for educators to understand the needs for individuals and do their best to not lump students into groups that in reality are not benefitting them at all.  

Blog Post #7

Between Barack and a Hard Place: Challenging Racism, Privilege, and Denial
By Tim Wise

REFLECTION

When I started this video, I honestly was not looking forward to watching the hour and forty minute long video at all.  However, once I started watching and speaker Tim Wise began his discussion/ lecture, I was thoroughly intrigued with what he had to say.  The way he presented his thoughts and opinions was entertaining as well as thought provoking.

In his lecture, he talks about how white people are so quick to judge and stereotype those who are not white, even before they know anything about them.  Tim told a story about his experience traveling on an airplane, and seeing that the two pilots were African American.  His immediate thoughts, even he an anti-racism activist, had the thought "I hope everything goes smoothly".  These are the types of unintentional racism that many people experience.  If asked if you are racist, odds are people are not going to admit that they are, or often don't think that they are.  However, it is experiences and thoughts like this that make us realize that most, if not all, of us have at some point or another in our lives had racist, stereotypical thoughts about one race or another.  We have become so accustomed to this way of thinking that we do not think about what it is we are actually being, and that is racist.

This video really connected in my mind to the privilege and power reading we discussed in class.  Tim's experience on the plane alone, is an exact example of this.  Had those two pilots been white, Tim would not have thought twice of the safety of the plane and the success of the trip.  These pilots would have the privilege of being white to stabilize the ideas of others.  The two African American pilot's although they might as well have been just as skilled and qualified, if not more so, than two white pilot's but because of the color of their skin they immediately get questioned and stereotyped.


Points to bring up in class:
Although a lot of us may not have realized it at the time, could there have been instances in the past week, month, 3 months where we had a racist or stereotypical thought.  Why do you think when nothing is said about being racist by an individual, it is automatically perceived by others as if they are racist?

Blog Post #6

"In Service of What"
by Kahne and Westheimer

REFLECTION

Reading this article really made me think about my experience with community service.  When I was younger and participated in CCD we were required to perform a certain amount of community service hours in order to make our confirmation.  To be completely truthful I did not enjoy any of the services I participated in, and sometimes even looked to try and find someone to sign off on my hours for me without doing any service.  I think a lot of the kids my age felt the same way, and in fact did the same thing.  At the time I did not see it as an opportunity for me to learn about someone or something else, but as a burden or requirement that I had to fulfill.

Similarly in order to graduate from my high school we also had to perform 30 hours of community service.  These hours could be over the course of all four years.  My freshman year I had the same attitude about community service that I did when I was trying to make my confirmation... " This is annoying", "why do I have to do this", etc.

It was not until my sophomore year of high school when, ironically, I participated in my church's mission trip group.  That April I traveled with 14 other students and adults to Nicaragua to help serve the Mustard Seed Community.  This was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had with community service.  We stayed for one week in the Mustard Seed Community, which took in disabled orphans, ranging in age from infants to 23 years of age.  Each individual had a different story of how they ended up in the Mustard Seed Community varying from being dropped off by adults, found on the streets, and even in one case being chained to a pole on the side of the road and left there.  For the full week we were there, we worked everyday from 7am until about 5pm to help build the community a chapel and dig a trench for proper plumbing.  This was some of the most vigorous work I had ever done, in some of the most hot days.  After completing our physical work for the day we then would take time to play with the children for about an hour.  The excitement the children had for this one hour a day to be played with, loved, receive attention was amazing.  The children were so happy from the smallest things.  I learned so much from not just the trip itself and the country itself, but those children especially.  They showed me you can be happy without material things. They taught me that all we really need in life is love and affection.  And lastly they taught me to truly appreciate everything I have, like running, hot water.  The entire week we were there we had no source of running or hot water.  We were each allowed one bucket of water to bathe ourselves in each day.  The very first day, when we found out we would have to take cold "bucket showers" I never would have thought I could have done it.  But by the very last day, it was like we had all forgotten what a real shower was.  We became so accustomed to living this way that realized we didn't need a full functioning shower to actually survive.

This experience taught me so much about not only the people in that country and community, but about myself.  I truly wish I could go back a second, third, or fourth time and have the same type of experience.  This experience showed me how a meaningful community service project can affect a person.  I think the problem that high school students are faced with when it comes to community service is that they see it as something they have to do, not something they want to do.  No one forced me to sign up for the mission trip, I just voluntarily signed up.  Students would benefit more from one meaningful community service event that they truly want to partake in rather than 30 hours of monotonous services that they have no interest in.  I think that is one of the major issues that is linked to community service being a requirement for high schools and incorporating it into the education system.  If the service is truly a meaningful one, then the students learn can learn so much.  However, if the service means nothing to the student, they may graduate high school but they will not have grown as a person.  And isn't that what teachers and educators look to achieve for their students?

This is one of the many homes that people live in within the local dump

This is a little girl named Lola, who I absolutely fell in love with

The building in the back is the house where we (the missionaries) stayed. In front is the Chapel we were helping them to build.  

Blog Post #5

Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us
Linda Christensen

EXTENDED COMMENTS
Response to Vicky's Blog

In her blog, Vicky, discusses how stereotypes are often thought of as television commercials and magazine photos.  After reading this article she was able to realize that she, like many others of us, was affected much earlier than before she was able to read magazines and pay attention to commercials.  Saturday morning cartoons and other "child-friendly" shows were imbedding the idea of common stereotypes.  I think she is very right about how stereotypes are imbedded in our minds at such a young age.  Most often parents try to screen their children from the common stereotypes, but fail to screen the cartoons and television shows they are exposed to.  Children are more likely to be influenced and form the basis for their thought processes from these types of shows and the images that are portrayed through them.

Vicky then discusses how our knowledge comes directly from the myths we learn as children.  This knowledge "binds" us as it becomes all the we know, and as a result in order to change this we have to "unlearn" these stereotypes.  What I found interesting about this is that we so easily "learned" this false information and these myths instead of what is the truth and realistic.  It really should be the other way around.  You would think it should be easy for us to learn the true and realistic ideas but because of television shows, magazines, and other forms of media we are conditioned for the opposite.

I found Vicky's comment for class to be very thought-provoking.  She discusses how her parents never worried about her being influenced by televisions shows because she was taught the difference between right and wrong and how to be herself.  She then goes on to say that if parents took the time to explain to their children the difference between fantasy and the truth Disney movies and cartoons would not be so "dangerous" to children.  This is a great point and idea to be considered.  Parents have a huge influence on their children and the way in which they perceive the images they are seeing.  Children can be taught to understand the difference between fictional ideas and real life experiences.


One thing I really liked from reading this article aside from the thoughts it provoked and ideas it brought up that I had never considered, was the project the teacher had her students complete.  The project was set in place to make an impact on the community or others.  In the reading it states that discussing it in class really is not provoking change.  In order to create change, these ideas and class discussions have to be put further than within the walls of the classroom.  I would be interested to know the reactions of those who received the pamphlets made by students and handed out at the PTA meetings.

Blog Post #4

Speaking the Unspeakable in Forbidden Places
Allan, Atkinson, Brace, DePalma, Hemingway

CONNECTIONS

One part of this piece that really stuck out to me was the few times the authors mentioned "protecting the students' innocence".  They were referring to the discussion and lack of discussion about sexuality within a classroom.  When I read this I was immediately able to make a connection to Why Can't She Remember That written by Terry Meier.  In this situation a young student turns to another adult in the room and asks why the teacher is unable to remember the answer to a question that she has asked several times before.  This, I thought, is a great example of how student's even at the younger levels are not as innocent as we may believe them to be.  Students understand, observe, and know a lot more than most people think and give them credit for... especially teachers.  Whether it is at the grocery store, on television shows, in a movie, or whatever else children and students, even those in preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade and so on, are exposed to both heterosexual and homosexual interactions and relationships.  Often times, if it is not something they are used to seeing (for example if they do not have family members or family friends who are LGBT) they are curious about it, and want to talk about it.  Young children are curious by nature, and asking questions is something they often do.  Sometimes the questions they ask (such as those referring to LGBT) get defused or ignored by adults, and many times that is because it is assumed they will not be able to understand the answers or "are too young to talk about it".

I also saw a big connection with this piece and The Silenced Dialogue by Lisa Delpit.  In this piece it mentioned LGBT teachers refrain from discussing their sexuality within the school setting. And why is that?  The authors mention that the possibility of losing credibility, privacy, and even sometimes the loss of their jobs.  As a result they don't speak of it at all, and these can negatively affect those students who might have benefitted from discussions such as these.  The school's have silenced many of these teachers and the topic itself in general in order to avoid bringing any attention (positive or negative) to the school and the topic.  This is a very difficult topic to address as individual families and parents have their own beliefs on such a sensitive topic however, the world we live in today makes discussions like these unavoidable.  I think that this is a topic that can no longer be silenced, whether you are for it or against it, it exists and it has become a part of most every day life.


In my high school I remember, I think it was my sophomore or junior year, there was a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club created as an after school club.  Many students at my high school, including myself, weren't really sure what to think of it.  My school never discussed the topic formally or within a specific class, but the topic did exist.  For those who joined the club this was a place for them to discuss their feelings and ideas in a comfortable space. Also while I was in high school I remember having a day each year where students could choose to participate in a "Day of Silence". This is not something just my school did but I believe it was a national event.  The purpose was to raise awareness for anti-LGBT bullying and harassment.
All teachers, at least in the classes I was in, respected the students choice (as those students who were participating wore a sticker to indicate they were silent for that day) and did not make an issue of the students choice. I could see however, how this could have caused issues between a teacher and student.

Blog Post #3

Richard Rodriguez
The Hunger of Memory

Connections

Midway through The Hunger of Memory, Richard Rodriguez reflects on a memory of when three of his school nuns showed up at his home to discuss his classroom progress with his parents.  The nuns questioned whether he and his siblings only spoke Spanish while at home.  They questioned whether it was possible for them to try an encompass English while they are at home.  Reading this I immediately connected it to An Indian Father's Plea.  In both situations the school officials are insisting that the families change their practices in order to better fit in with school practices.  The parents of Richard Rodriguez believed this was the only way their children could receive a good education, and so they deserted their native language in order to be better accepted and understood in the school institution.  In this story, the parents are willing to give up a huge part of their culture and lives in order to succumb to the towns norms and culture.  It's hard to think that schools have the power and ability to influence families so much so that they are willing (and sometimes not so willing) to lose a part of themselves in order to receive an education.  In An  Indian Father's Plea however, the father and family were not willing to lose a part of them as easily.  They attempted to get the school to see how much their child has to offer to the school and not just the other way around.  Unfortunately, much like in An Indian Father's Plea, schools today always seem to point the finger at the families to see what it is the families can do to change their ways instead of the other way around.

Point to share:
I thought it was very interesting how in the beginning of his story, Richard Rodriguez had trouble being understood by those in his community when he tried to speak English.  He only knew very few words and when he was sent to the store around the block he spoke very little broken English.  By the end of his story, after being in school for two years he still had great difficulty speaking. However, now it was not English that he had trouble with, but Spanish! His native language, one which he was used to hearing almost every day in his home.  The language in which he felt at ease hearing was now one that he could barely articulate.  He struggled to speak with his grandmother when she came to visit.  The culture he was surrounded with and experienced everyday had now become his own.  His own father was seen as an outcast in his family because he could not speak the language which they all could not once speak.  It was amazing to me, how in such a short period of time the culture of a family could have been totally altered.
Rodriguez talks about the "public language" and how it is presumed to be English.  How can a country made up of immigrants, from all different nations, establish one, single public language?  I thought about how I would feel if me and my family were the minority.  How would my life and my educational experience have been different if I didn't know the language spoken by my teachers and peers?

The Power of Global Learning: Making the Foreign Familiar

Blog Post #2

Other People's Children
Lisa Delpit

ARGUMENT

This author, Lisa Delpit, argues that it is the responsibility of those in the majority, those with greater power who must take action in order to change "what" and "who" is heard in defining what is best for poor children and children of color.
It would seem there would be an obvious answer to this argument wouldn't it?  Unfortunately it is quite the opposite.  This debate for what is best for poor students and students of color has long been debated.  The problem that persists is the who that are doing the debating are not the who that is doing the hearing.  It is the parents of black children and teachers of color who have had their thoughts put on mute for the past several decades due to their lack of power within the education realm.  Delpit goes on to describe how the rules of the culture of power are based on the rules of the culture in which is in power.  This "culture of power" makes an immediate disadvantage for those who are not the majority or not in power.  It is most difficult for those within this realm of power to step outside themselves and see how poor children and children of color are being negatively affected in their education.  However, that is indeed what it is going to take.  In order for this process to change, the individual or individuals must be willing to put aside his or her beliefs as well as seeing themselves as those on the outside do.  It is these willing individuals that will open up the dialogue in hopes for change.


The article below is one I found that was somewhat wordy but a few points stood out to me while I was reading.
"...But what you are essentially saying is, you don't mind people who have historically had more continuing to have more. You are almost guaranteeing that inequities are going to continue over time" (Ross). 
       I thought this excerpt from the article tied in quite nicely to the Delpit piece we just discussed.  In context with the rest of the article it really sheds light on how without individuals willingness to change, the current inequalities will continue. 
Further in the article is discusses how the population that lives in poverty has the opportunity to "think beyond today" stripped from them.  Their focus is on surviving from day to day, not years and years from now.  This provoked me to think of how this thought process affects students in school.  Does it limit their visions of their future? Does it delay them from dreaming and setting goals for themselves? And lastly, how can I as a future teacher encourage students in this situation to change their current pattern of thought from living day to day to where they see themselves ten years from now.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/06/minority-children-start-poor-stay-poor_n_845866.html

Blog Post #1

Johnathan Kozol
"Amazing Grace"


QUOTES

"As confident and grown-up as he sounds, he has the round face of a baby and is scarcely more than three and a half feet tall" (Kozol 8).

This quote is describing a seven year old boy named Cliffe.  Cliffe takes the narrator around his city, South Bronx, and shows him what goes on within his neighborhood.  As they walk the streets of the city, Cliffe describes various places and what goes on there, including a place where they are "burning bodies" and a park where he saw a boy be shot in the head.  This quote reminds the reader that the boy is only seven years old.  It also puts into perspective how much young children in this area, and others just like it, are exposed to especially at such a young age.  Violence, drugs, murders, and crime in general are all a part of this young boys everyday life.  When I think of being seven years old, it would surprise me if I had even known much about any of those things, never mind experience and encounter them on a daily basis.

"A nurse who works there, according to one press account, carries a card in her wallet with the message: 'Do Not Take Me To Harlem Hospital in an Emergency'" (Kozol 16).

This quote really put the condition of this hospital into perspective for me as I was reading.  Hospitals are not always the cleanest and quickest of places as we all may know.  However, for an employee of that institution to refuse to be brought there, even in an emergency situation tells a lot about a place.  This quote is relevant to the text as it is another way for the author to depict to the reader how terrible the conditions of this hospital really were.

"My teacher says 'We came here in chains and now we buy our own chains and put them on ourselves'" (Kozol 24).

This quote refers to the coming of African Americans to America as slaves, reference to "chains", and how the use of drugs, violence, prostitution, and other crimes are restricting ourselves right back into those "chains".  Putting themselves back into these chains does not necessarily refer to being put in jail, but also the restrictions people are putting on themselves.  Participating in these street crimes and activities is continuing the vicious cycle that so many are trying to escape from by getting a better life.  If the crime, violence, and drugs continue, areas such as where the text refers, the South Bronx, will never have a shot at coming out of its present state.


Point to Share:

While reading this text, I kept its title in mind the entire time.  As I neared the end of the piece I  was continuously thinking that there would be some turning point, change for the better, or some "happy ending".  As I reached the end of the text I was almost disappointed to see that there was no "happy ending" like I had hoped there to be.  It was then that I realized that this is reality, not just a story.  For the unfortunate children and families in this city, they don't get that happy ending either.  It then made me wonder what the significance of the title "Amazing Grace" was to the text.  Why did Kozol pick that to be the title of such a sad piece of writing?
How as teachers can we help and improve the lives of students who come from similar backgrounds and experiences such as this?

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/kids-struggling-bx-bklyn-article-1.1261803

Introduction

My name is Meghan Reall and I am a sophomore transfer here at Rhode Island College.  I spent my first year of college down in Florida at Florida Southern College.  So far my first semester here at RIC has been good.  When I'm not in class I am playing basketball or softball for the teams here at RIC. I commute from my house so if I am not on campus I'm usually at home.