I was confused why she was focused on free Kindergarten, but this text was about educational injustices for African American children. This text served as a reminder that I take for granted opportunities that once were not granted to everyone. I think White America focuses in on certain aspects of the African American oppression and then just blocks out the rest of characteristics. It is like we are conditioned to think that once African Americans were no longer enslaved that they were equal to everyone else, but this text was a grim reminder that was not the
Ms. Vasquez was the newest member of the first grade team at Westside Elementary School. She, along with three other teachers, made up the first grade teaching staff. Three years before Sally’s employment began, the first grade staff “adopted academic progress and social development criteria for determining whether students should be retained in grade” (Kowalski, pg. 59). While Sally was uncomfortable with retaining students, she was not yet confident enough in her position to challenge the veteran teachers. During her schooling, “Sally had been told that the negative aspects of retaining students far outweighed the benefits-a contention that was supported by several research articles she was required to read” (Kowalski, pg. 59).
After few hours reading, “The Sanctuary of School” was written by Lynda Barry, grew up in an interracial neighborhood in Seattle, Washington State. Then, I think this article was interesting to read. I love the way how she told us her past experience by using her own voice to lead us step by step get into her story, then she also shares us about her feeling and how it impacted to her future life. Plus, at the end, she argues that the government should not be cutting the school programs and art related activities. Those programs definitely do help the students and the parents as well.
As Nelson Mandela once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Donovan Livingston, a graduate at Harvard Graduate School of Education, has similar views on education. His passionate and inspiring speech called “Lift Off” was given at HGSE’s Commencement Ceremony on May 25, 2016. The speech discusses the importance of education as well as the obstacles and injustices students, especially those of color, have experienced throughout history in getting an education. Livingston’s graduating classmates who are becoming teachers, as well as teachers and educators in general, are the audience of his speech.
In the book An Invisible Thread, the author often provides examples of parents that have a poor quality of parenting. First there is Laura’s father Nunziato Carino, who’s a bartender. After he is done with his shift, he would often come home drunk and yell at his son, Frank who is Five. Frank will quickly hide under his bed sheet as his father dammed his name again and again. This happened frequently and every one would hide in their rooms as unfortunate Frank takes his father’s heavy word beating each night.
In Anita Garland’s essay “Let’s Really Reform Our Schools” the author begins by telling us that high schools in the U.S are failure. Garland argues that “the pressure to look fashionable and act cool outweighs any concern for learning.” She tells us that current safety measures like metal detectors and security guards have not be enough to beat the conflict of criminals in school. She claims that school ideas have to be reconstructed. Anita Garland tells us that the essential change to school structure should be school attendance; stop making it mandatory.
The first and most important display of diversity is when Mrs. Elliot splits up the class by eye color. The point of this was to teach students how little sense is made from treating someone based on an aspect of their appearance. A clear example of social justice in the film is shown shortly after the class is divided, when the blue eyed children were given extra recess time while the brown eyed students didn’t get any recess time at all. There was no clear reason why one group was seen as superior and given more privilege aside from the children’s’ eye color; this is an issue that is still seen often today. The whole documentary is about a social experiment involving discrimination.
Jane Elliot was a third grade teacher that tried an experiment with her class to educate her students on the effects of discrimination. Elliot separated her class based on their eye color in order to explain how people are treated differently in the world. She tried to find a way to explain racism in the world in a way that third graders would understand. I was actually surprised when I heard there had been an altercation on the playground the day of the experiment. A blue eyed student teased a brown eyed student which resulted in the brown eyed student engaging in a physical altercation with the blue eyed student.
What common themes bond together the literary works of the 1800’s? Frederick Douglass and Kate Chopin both realized that people were not being treated fairly and thus it influenced their writing. Through personal experiences and observations Frederick Douglass conveyed how African Americans in My Bondage and My Freedom were treated unfairly. Kate Chopin used the plot to show how women were treated unfairly in “The Story of an Hour”. My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass tells of some of the experiences he went through as a slave.
In Dead Poets Society, A Death of a Salesman, and Unbroken, the theme of "battle against conformity" is expressed through the main character's reactions to overwhelming societal pressures, the reasons behind conformity, and the consequences of characters willingness to forsake their individuality. (Thesis) In various literary works, a character's reaction towards conformity and societal pressures often leads them to forsake their individuality effectively taking away the unique aspects which wanes their distinctiveness. Essentially, conformity causes one's eccentricity to be molded into universal concepts or ideas shared by the masses. This level of thought is proven true in Death of a Salesman through the ongoing conflict between the
True freedom is without obstruction or restraint yet there are ways in which freedom leads to restraint. Many advances and opportunities gave rise during 1865 and 1910 in America along with it came a sense of freedom for the people who migrated or resigned there. People like Jurgis had the freedom to work, earned money, and own a home of their own, but in all reality they were not free but trapped by the very things that they had the freedom to obtain. Industrialization was a big thing in The United States and everyone wanted to be part of it immigrants like Jurgis would leave their home lands and travel to the city where there was said to be an abundance of jobs and opportunities.
For example, sanitation workers had to carry bags of garbage that had holes in them and since they were paid low wages, they ended up poor on welfare. Not only was this film was a way of seeing another turning point during the civil rights movement but also, African Americans fighting for justice. Even though I was not born during that time, I can understand how they felt because it wasn’t that easy. In today’s society racism isn’t as bad as what it was during that time. Besides we still have times were we face racism in our lives so I would say in some areas racism is still a
The diversity of student backgrounds, abilities and learning styles makes each person unique in the way he or she reacts to information. The intersection of diverse student backgrounds and active learning needs a comfortable, positive environment in which to take root. Dr. King continues by explaining, “Education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.” From back then to today’s society, kids are failing because they lack those morals that they need to succeed.
Charles Baudelaire was Parisian born, and lived from 1821- 1867 who was a French poet that defined the characteristics of modernity in paintings in his 1859 text “The Painter of Modern Life”. He explains Modernity as the transcendence of beauty, fashion, and emotion through time. In Theodore Wores’ (1881) New Year’s Day in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Baudelaire’s modernity idea can be seen within the painting even though his writing and Wores’ painting were created at different times. In addition to Modernity, there is Orientalism and Exoticism that are shown in the painting.
Furthermore, in “Freedom writes” composed by Richard LaGravenese a teacher named Erin Gruwell is attempting to help a class of distressed students in a high school who suffers from racism and gang violence. During one of her periods she has a class