Today I was listening to the news on the radio and found something difficult to say how I feel about it. Basically, Jim Jones is a well known rapper in the hiphop community. He was scheduled to have a performance and promote HIV/AIDS awareness in Jersey City. Mayor Jerramiah Healy cancelled the performance and talk due to the rapper's lyric content. He said that they promoted violence against women, cops, and promoted guns & drug trafficking. Most people view this person as a role model... so I'm trying to understand what the best way to handle the situation is. I'm just a little confused. For the full article click the link below...
http://www.nj.com/hudsoncountynow/index.ssf/2008/06/jersey_city_cancels_rap_concer.html
Friday, June 13, 2008
Last Thoughts...
Reflection:
I didn’t really have any expectations. The only time I actually did have expectations was when I first looked at the syllabus. I found out that we had to go visit urban schools. That fleshed out they stereotypes that I had seen in the media. I knew that they were stereotypes, but I could not help myself to visualize these depictions in my expectations. When I went to the schools my expectations were redefined into completely positive ones. I was hoping to learn more about the at risk schools. I know that the schools we visited were the better ones, but it would have been better for me personally to see the other schools and what is working to get across to these students.
The main thing that I learned and can say I can use is that regardless to urban or suburban students… they all have potential to learn and become successful. I also learned that the urban pedagogy is something that should be universalized in any area and not just concentrated in the urban sector. I also learned how to utilize technology in my future classroom. I never have the chance nor did I know how to create a blog and a webpage. I think that both of these technologies should be implemented in the class room.
The biggest challenge of the course was trying to fully understand the struggle that these children face everyday. It is one thing say that these students have it rough, but to really understand it is something difficult to do. The other thing I had trouble with and still do is all the politics that exists in the urban school district. It seems that these schools priority is everything, but the students. I know that these politician and share holders have their best interest in mind, but in the end it seems to always sell the students short.
My greatest accomplishment in the class was being able to create my own blog and webpage. The reason why I am proud of this accomplishment is because I am a huge advocate of using technology in the classroom. This was something that I didn’t know how to do or use properly… so now I can say that I know how to utilize this technology.
The best thing I can tell future teachers who are looking into the urban districts is try to have an open mind. I had preconceived notions about the typical urban school and because I have an open mind I was able to reject that false reality and instilled a new one in its place. This does not limit itself to the perception of these students, but also in any other teacher situation that may occur in the classroom. Everyone is unique and as a future teacher in any district it is important to keep an open and fluid mind with your students. Some situations are out of your understanding, but it is your job to try to understand the students’ situation. Another thing that I can suggest is build a strong relationship with everyone in and out of school. That means the students parents, the other teachers, principal, and etc. I feel it is important to keep a strong relationship with these people and other because it will only strengthen you education and pedagogy.
At first I did not want to teacher in an urban school setting, but now I feel that I can do it. Still, I feel not quite ready, but who ever is? Teaching is a learning process that should never end. Just like students learn from the teacher… the teacher should also learn from his or her students to make their education even stronger. Finally, what I will bring to the classroom is all I’ve learned from this class and others. That is to remain fluid enough to understand other people’s needs, but not too fluid that you will break in half. After all, our job is to teach. We are teachers, but we must also be facilators of knowledge.
Course Feedback:
The most helpful thing I thought was actually visiting the schools and also researching for the website. I found so many useful websites and organizations that help urban schools and strengthen the community around them. Another important and useful thing I thought was beneficial for urban schools was the literature you made us read and the discussions that followed based on the readings.
I really didn’t have that many complaints about the structure of the course. The only thing that was difficult was making it to the schools during the visiting week. I’m not sure if it would have been better during a fall or spring semester. Still, other than that I think we spent all our short allotted time in the right aspects of the course.
Yeah, the PDK did suck a little. Personally, I liked all the other readings. What I would like to see and it’s not just in this course, but other courses as well. We all talk about the child, the student, the learner and so one, but it’s usually someone else but the student. Meaning that I would like to read some first hand accounts of what children actually think about teachers, school, life and etc. I just think that is my personal interest and I haven’t really come across any form of literature that actually addresses the students’ voice without the interjection of someone outside their circle or community.
I thought all your teaching techniques were very useful. I definitely loved the culture collage project. I felt that should have been moved up earlier so we can get to know each other better… some sort of icebreaker that you can mold into a deeper assignment which I thought worked great (P.S. I’m going to use this in my class). The one thing I liked about your teacher was that… you weren’t some bland teacher. You actually had a name and a personality about you, which I’m hoping will resonate in my teaching as well.
I didn’t really have any expectations. The only time I actually did have expectations was when I first looked at the syllabus. I found out that we had to go visit urban schools. That fleshed out they stereotypes that I had seen in the media. I knew that they were stereotypes, but I could not help myself to visualize these depictions in my expectations. When I went to the schools my expectations were redefined into completely positive ones. I was hoping to learn more about the at risk schools. I know that the schools we visited were the better ones, but it would have been better for me personally to see the other schools and what is working to get across to these students.
The main thing that I learned and can say I can use is that regardless to urban or suburban students… they all have potential to learn and become successful. I also learned that the urban pedagogy is something that should be universalized in any area and not just concentrated in the urban sector. I also learned how to utilize technology in my future classroom. I never have the chance nor did I know how to create a blog and a webpage. I think that both of these technologies should be implemented in the class room.
The biggest challenge of the course was trying to fully understand the struggle that these children face everyday. It is one thing say that these students have it rough, but to really understand it is something difficult to do. The other thing I had trouble with and still do is all the politics that exists in the urban school district. It seems that these schools priority is everything, but the students. I know that these politician and share holders have their best interest in mind, but in the end it seems to always sell the students short.
My greatest accomplishment in the class was being able to create my own blog and webpage. The reason why I am proud of this accomplishment is because I am a huge advocate of using technology in the classroom. This was something that I didn’t know how to do or use properly… so now I can say that I know how to utilize this technology.
The best thing I can tell future teachers who are looking into the urban districts is try to have an open mind. I had preconceived notions about the typical urban school and because I have an open mind I was able to reject that false reality and instilled a new one in its place. This does not limit itself to the perception of these students, but also in any other teacher situation that may occur in the classroom. Everyone is unique and as a future teacher in any district it is important to keep an open and fluid mind with your students. Some situations are out of your understanding, but it is your job to try to understand the students’ situation. Another thing that I can suggest is build a strong relationship with everyone in and out of school. That means the students parents, the other teachers, principal, and etc. I feel it is important to keep a strong relationship with these people and other because it will only strengthen you education and pedagogy.
At first I did not want to teacher in an urban school setting, but now I feel that I can do it. Still, I feel not quite ready, but who ever is? Teaching is a learning process that should never end. Just like students learn from the teacher… the teacher should also learn from his or her students to make their education even stronger. Finally, what I will bring to the classroom is all I’ve learned from this class and others. That is to remain fluid enough to understand other people’s needs, but not too fluid that you will break in half. After all, our job is to teach. We are teachers, but we must also be facilators of knowledge.
Course Feedback:
The most helpful thing I thought was actually visiting the schools and also researching for the website. I found so many useful websites and organizations that help urban schools and strengthen the community around them. Another important and useful thing I thought was beneficial for urban schools was the literature you made us read and the discussions that followed based on the readings.
I really didn’t have that many complaints about the structure of the course. The only thing that was difficult was making it to the schools during the visiting week. I’m not sure if it would have been better during a fall or spring semester. Still, other than that I think we spent all our short allotted time in the right aspects of the course.
Yeah, the PDK did suck a little. Personally, I liked all the other readings. What I would like to see and it’s not just in this course, but other courses as well. We all talk about the child, the student, the learner and so one, but it’s usually someone else but the student. Meaning that I would like to read some first hand accounts of what children actually think about teachers, school, life and etc. I just think that is my personal interest and I haven’t really come across any form of literature that actually addresses the students’ voice without the interjection of someone outside their circle or community.
I thought all your teaching techniques were very useful. I definitely loved the culture collage project. I felt that should have been moved up earlier so we can get to know each other better… some sort of icebreaker that you can mold into a deeper assignment which I thought worked great (P.S. I’m going to use this in my class). The one thing I liked about your teacher was that… you weren’t some bland teacher. You actually had a name and a personality about you, which I’m hoping will resonate in my teaching as well.
Too Hungry to Think...
Many families today have problems making ends meet. Ever since our economy has taken a big hit other families such as middle class family have found it hard to provide for their loved ones. Everything is going up in our economy and trying to meet the most basic of needs has become a grueling task. I did some research and found a website with a food bank locator. The website is http://www.secondharvest.org/. It is user friendly. All you have to do is type in your zip code or enter your state. This organization helps feed those in need. The reason why I decided to write about this is because many students come to school without breakfast and in certain instances they haven had anything all weekend. So, that means that Monday morning can be very difficult for the student and teacher. It doesn’t mean that the student doesn’t want to learn… he or she is simply hungry. If the simplest of needs i.e. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are not met than the student will not be able to properly learn the lesson. This will make the teacher’s job difficult. I just wanted to make people aware of the problem some families face and to show that there are organizations that will help these families.
Please Check In...
This post was inspired by another post I had read. The blogger was talking about the poverty that most children face outside of school. It really made me think how much we depersonalize ourselves in the classroom. It seems that we are expected to check in all our problems at the door before we enter the classroom. This of course is not limited simply to the students, but also the teachers. Don’t get me wrong. It is ideal for the teacher and student to leave their family and personal issues at the door so that they can focus on their school work, but sometimes that is not as easy as it seems. I’ve gone through a lot and I’m sure everyone else has too. Even right now as you read this you can name a number of things that has impacted your life in a great way and at the same time made it difficult for you to focus in school. You can’t simply turn off the switch and forget about things. It is rather difficult. I think what we should do as future teachers is become aware that many of our students will have issues that we may have had or problems that are foreign to us. After we become aware of these issues… most likely founded on a good relationship between student and teacher… the teacher can channel their emotions into a more positive outlet that will not only help the student cope with the issue, but also learn something about themselves. Let’s not leave our problems at the door, but let us use our experiences to foster our learning.
Monday, June 9, 2008
My first day in a local Public School…
As my friends and I started to drive into the urban area we knew we were going into a new environment. Things were definitely different from other schools that I have had a chance to visit, but nothing completely new for me.
I was trying to gauge what is the difference between the urban school teacher and suburban school teacher. From what I gathered from my interaction with the schools’ teachers in the urban school was that there wasn't that much difference. Both urban and suburban have the same ideology or definition of what a good teacher is. The only difference I felt was the parents’ lack of involvement. I understand that that is a huge issue within these schools, but I feel that that can happen even in the suburbs. My parents were never involved because they didn’t understand the language. The same could be said for most of my friends within my circle in suburban school. The parents were too busy to attend back to school night because they worked long hours and had business trips. Granted, this is just a small amount of kids that I knew from the entire school and cannot reflect the entire suburban school system. I think I’m beginning to understand what they mean by… the parents don’t get involved. What they meant is that this isn’t an isolated figure, but most of the school demonstrates the lack of parent involvement.
The other thing that I noticed was some of the programs that they had implemented for the students. One of which helped teach the children the various drugs that are out there and how they affect you and others around you. The children who are in this program are referred to by there teacher, parents, or other students. The reason why they are in this program is not because they are doing drugs, rather one of their family members has a serious problem with a narcotic and the child is exposed to this behavior.
My short interaction with the kids demonstrated that they are learning a lot about how bad drugs are to themselves, family, friends, and society through gruesome pictures of deteriorating organs. Still, I found no difference in drug use in the family from suburban and urban schools. In my previous post, the numbers were identical.
The other main difference I thought was the notion of gang affiliation in these schools. Our guide for the day told us that each year they have a police officer come in the school to talk about gangs and how detrimental they are to everyone. They would show pictures of the negative affects of being in a gang and tell the children how bad it is to become a gang member. Still, the one thing that came out from this experience is that these children have a different experience that most privileged suburban students take for granted. It seems that across the board inner city schools have problems that can exist in suburban schools, but are more prevalent in urban schools. Still, all these children are capable of being the best students that they can be with the right outlet and safe space away from the inner city environment that they are surround with.
I was trying to gauge what is the difference between the urban school teacher and suburban school teacher. From what I gathered from my interaction with the schools’ teachers in the urban school was that there wasn't that much difference. Both urban and suburban have the same ideology or definition of what a good teacher is. The only difference I felt was the parents’ lack of involvement. I understand that that is a huge issue within these schools, but I feel that that can happen even in the suburbs. My parents were never involved because they didn’t understand the language. The same could be said for most of my friends within my circle in suburban school. The parents were too busy to attend back to school night because they worked long hours and had business trips. Granted, this is just a small amount of kids that I knew from the entire school and cannot reflect the entire suburban school system. I think I’m beginning to understand what they mean by… the parents don’t get involved. What they meant is that this isn’t an isolated figure, but most of the school demonstrates the lack of parent involvement.
The other thing that I noticed was some of the programs that they had implemented for the students. One of which helped teach the children the various drugs that are out there and how they affect you and others around you. The children who are in this program are referred to by there teacher, parents, or other students. The reason why they are in this program is not because they are doing drugs, rather one of their family members has a serious problem with a narcotic and the child is exposed to this behavior.
My short interaction with the kids demonstrated that they are learning a lot about how bad drugs are to themselves, family, friends, and society through gruesome pictures of deteriorating organs. Still, I found no difference in drug use in the family from suburban and urban schools. In my previous post, the numbers were identical.
The other main difference I thought was the notion of gang affiliation in these schools. Our guide for the day told us that each year they have a police officer come in the school to talk about gangs and how detrimental they are to everyone. They would show pictures of the negative affects of being in a gang and tell the children how bad it is to become a gang member. Still, the one thing that came out from this experience is that these children have a different experience that most privileged suburban students take for granted. It seems that across the board inner city schools have problems that can exist in suburban schools, but are more prevalent in urban schools. Still, all these children are capable of being the best students that they can be with the right outlet and safe space away from the inner city environment that they are surround with.
La nostra Cultura...
Growing up with illiterate parents has helped me value the teaching profession that I had experienced at an early age and throughout my entire life. My parents both came from different social strata; my mother came from a slightly more privileged background in Sicily and was able to complete fifth grade. On the other hand, my father came from a struggling farming family where he had to drop out of school in third grade in order to assist his family. These social hardships made learning difficult for my mother and father, because working was more important than education.
We came to America when I was five years old. As I went to school I would learn how to write letters, words, sentences, and eventually speak and write proper English. When I would come home, I would sit with my mother and father showing and teaching them how to pronounce each word I had learned earlier that day.
As time went on, I began to realize that I wanted to become a teacher. The reason why I wanted to teach was because I noticed I was not only teaching, but I also was learning from my parents’ mistakes. When my mother and father struggled to grasp the pronunciation of a word, I did not take their confused eyes as a sign of their failure to understand, but rather as an indication that I needed to refine my ways of teaching them in order for them to comprehend a particular word.
My culture and up bringing has been centered on the idea that family comes first. It is because of this central ideology that I transferred from my undergrad work at Pennsylvania State University to be closer with my parents. It wasn’t because I missed them… it had more to do with their struggling literacy. In other words, they were having a difficult time to pay the bills without me. So, I moved closer.
I believe that each person has a different upbringing and therefore a different culture. It is important to address this issue in the classroom. Students should realize that each person is different in different ways, but at the same time we are similarly different. In other words, there are some commonalities that we all share. Most students would not know about my culture unless there is some sort of assignment that fleshes out each person’s individuality. The important thing to do in the classroom is have an assignment that allows the student to describe their culture and uniqueness to the entire class. The assignment would teach the students that we are not that different from each other. What this ultimately does in the classroom is create a better learning environment where students will feel comfortable enough to speak their minds without fear of being judged.
We all come from different backgrounds, speak different languages, and worship different religions. If the classroom is able to create an environment where the class can discuss these differences openly then, the class will begin to see that there are many similarities in the differences that we all share. Till this day my parents’ English isn’t perfect, but it has improved greatly. I never gave up on my parents. It is because of them that I realize that teaching is a continuous process, both for the teacher and student and my patience and love for them has made me dedicated to this profession.
We came to America when I was five years old. As I went to school I would learn how to write letters, words, sentences, and eventually speak and write proper English. When I would come home, I would sit with my mother and father showing and teaching them how to pronounce each word I had learned earlier that day.
As time went on, I began to realize that I wanted to become a teacher. The reason why I wanted to teach was because I noticed I was not only teaching, but I also was learning from my parents’ mistakes. When my mother and father struggled to grasp the pronunciation of a word, I did not take their confused eyes as a sign of their failure to understand, but rather as an indication that I needed to refine my ways of teaching them in order for them to comprehend a particular word.
My culture and up bringing has been centered on the idea that family comes first. It is because of this central ideology that I transferred from my undergrad work at Pennsylvania State University to be closer with my parents. It wasn’t because I missed them… it had more to do with their struggling literacy. In other words, they were having a difficult time to pay the bills without me. So, I moved closer.
I believe that each person has a different upbringing and therefore a different culture. It is important to address this issue in the classroom. Students should realize that each person is different in different ways, but at the same time we are similarly different. In other words, there are some commonalities that we all share. Most students would not know about my culture unless there is some sort of assignment that fleshes out each person’s individuality. The important thing to do in the classroom is have an assignment that allows the student to describe their culture and uniqueness to the entire class. The assignment would teach the students that we are not that different from each other. What this ultimately does in the classroom is create a better learning environment where students will feel comfortable enough to speak their minds without fear of being judged.
We all come from different backgrounds, speak different languages, and worship different religions. If the classroom is able to create an environment where the class can discuss these differences openly then, the class will begin to see that there are many similarities in the differences that we all share. Till this day my parents’ English isn’t perfect, but it has improved greatly. I never gave up on my parents. It is because of them that I realize that teaching is a continuous process, both for the teacher and student and my patience and love for them has made me dedicated to this profession.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
A common Misconception....
The media has portrayed the urban youth environment as a hostile and unruly place to have your children attend. This classic image has been repeated and parodied in such movies as Dangerous Minds and High School High. It is only a matter of time that this fear will be instilled in our lives and become a hegemonic belief in our pedagological pursuit. It seems that the only refuge from these sexed drugged violent teenagers can be found in a suburbia sanctuary… after all the kids would never do such things as the urban youths.
A long study conducted by Jay P. Greene and Greg Foster called, “Sex, Drugs, and Delinquency in Urban and Suburban Public Schools” yield a result that contradicts the common belief that we have about suburban and urban schools. The following list of results show that urban schools and suburban are more or less identical to one another despite the belief that urban schools are portrayed and are believed to be the worst of the two.
This report finds that:
• Urban and suburban high schools are virtually identical in terms of widespread sexual activity. Two thirds of all suburban and urban 12th graders have had sex; 43% of suburban 12th graders and 39% of urban 12th graders have had sex with a person with whom they did not have a romantic relationship.
• Pregnancy rates are high in both suburban and urban schools, although they are higher in urban schools; 14% of suburban 12th grade girls and 20% of urban 12th grade girls have been pregnant.
• Over 60% of suburban 12th graders have tried cigarette smoking, compared to 54% of urban 12th graders; 37% of suburban 12th graders have smoked at least once a day for at least 30 days, compared to 30% of urban 12th graders.
• Alcohol use followed a similar pattern; 74% of suburban 12th graders and 71% of urban 12th graders have tried alcohol more than two or three times; 63% of suburban 12th graders and 57% of urban 12th graders drink without family members present; 22% of suburban 12th graders and 16% of urban 12th graders have driven while drunk.
• About four out of ten 12th graders in both urban and suburban schools have used illegal drugs; 20% of suburban 12th graders and 13% of urban 12th graders have driven while high on drugs.
• Urban and suburban students are about equally likely to engage in other delinquent behaviors such as fighting and stealing.
*Results taking from Jay P. Greene’s and Greg Foster’s 2004 study published in Education Working Paper*
The results given by this study shows that there is little if any difference from the urban and suburban school environment. I remember in my suburban high school, there were many students doing drugs, stole, and did other deviant behavior. I just don’t understand why, if the percentages are so closely linked to one another… then why is one environment preferred over the other? Has media influenced us to the point that we have accepted it as a cultural truth? The urban schools are bad and suburban schools are good? Still, one thing that is important to take into account is the test being conducted. I might be buying into this common belief… but there still might be some sort of reality to it. Imagine having complete strangers going into either school. The students will be hesitant to answer truthfully. This will have skewed the results completely. Regardless, on the surface we are all different. With a little digging… we can see that our differences matter similarly.
A long study conducted by Jay P. Greene and Greg Foster called, “Sex, Drugs, and Delinquency in Urban and Suburban Public Schools” yield a result that contradicts the common belief that we have about suburban and urban schools. The following list of results show that urban schools and suburban are more or less identical to one another despite the belief that urban schools are portrayed and are believed to be the worst of the two.
This report finds that:
• Urban and suburban high schools are virtually identical in terms of widespread sexual activity. Two thirds of all suburban and urban 12th graders have had sex; 43% of suburban 12th graders and 39% of urban 12th graders have had sex with a person with whom they did not have a romantic relationship.
• Pregnancy rates are high in both suburban and urban schools, although they are higher in urban schools; 14% of suburban 12th grade girls and 20% of urban 12th grade girls have been pregnant.
• Over 60% of suburban 12th graders have tried cigarette smoking, compared to 54% of urban 12th graders; 37% of suburban 12th graders have smoked at least once a day for at least 30 days, compared to 30% of urban 12th graders.
• Alcohol use followed a similar pattern; 74% of suburban 12th graders and 71% of urban 12th graders have tried alcohol more than two or three times; 63% of suburban 12th graders and 57% of urban 12th graders drink without family members present; 22% of suburban 12th graders and 16% of urban 12th graders have driven while drunk.
• About four out of ten 12th graders in both urban and suburban schools have used illegal drugs; 20% of suburban 12th graders and 13% of urban 12th graders have driven while high on drugs.
• Urban and suburban students are about equally likely to engage in other delinquent behaviors such as fighting and stealing.
*Results taking from Jay P. Greene’s and Greg Foster’s 2004 study published in Education Working Paper*
The results given by this study shows that there is little if any difference from the urban and suburban school environment. I remember in my suburban high school, there were many students doing drugs, stole, and did other deviant behavior. I just don’t understand why, if the percentages are so closely linked to one another… then why is one environment preferred over the other? Has media influenced us to the point that we have accepted it as a cultural truth? The urban schools are bad and suburban schools are good? Still, one thing that is important to take into account is the test being conducted. I might be buying into this common belief… but there still might be some sort of reality to it. Imagine having complete strangers going into either school. The students will be hesitant to answer truthfully. This will have skewed the results completely. Regardless, on the surface we are all different. With a little digging… we can see that our differences matter similarly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
