Talking Points #7

Charles Lawrence " One More River to Cross"

Premise

• race
• inequality
• lies
• ignorance
• truth
• realization
• North vs. South
• differences
• hate
• misunderstanding
• change

Argument

Lawrence argues that segregation is still present in school systems and in order to fully understand how to end segregation the courts and school districts must understanding the harm it causes to the black children who are being segregated.

Evidence

1. "The significane of segregation was best understood by looking at what it meant to the people who imposed it and to those who were subjected to it." (pg.282) Lawrence raises the point that in order to even talk about racism and segregation then we must gain a better knowledge of it. He is saying that just simply saying " segregation is bad and needs to stop" is not enough because then nothing is solved. In order to really understand the harm in segregation then we must understand why it started in the first place and what caused it to get so bad.
2. "Once the state has effectively instituionalized racial segregation as a labeling device, only minimal matenince is required." (pg. 286) Lawrence makes the point that after the state recognizes that segregation is actually a problem then only a few things need to be done after that. The hardest part is the state actually taking the time to know that they had made a mistake by segregating schools. Then shortly after the correct steps can be made to fix the problem not just surpressing it but unsegregating schools.
3. "The oppressor's understanding of his oppression is limited by self-interest, and ultimately we must find ways to make our oppression operate against the self-interest of those in power." (pg. 293) Lawrence is making the point that the state only understands and fixes as much as it wants. And those that are segregated must find another way to get the states attention so that they will fix the segregation.

Comments

This article was extremely hard for me to understand. I read almost every paragraph over and still had trouble with most of them. I think I got what Lawrence was trying to say but Im not sure. Segregation is not prominent in any of the schools that I have attended but when it was present it was not handled correctly. The courts simply ruled in the Brown case to just end segregation in schools, not fix it nation wide. They simply satisfied the accuser, they did not work towards understanding and ending the problem of segregation.

Talking Points #6

Jeannie Oakes "Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route"

Premise

• education
• curriculm
• speed
• privelege
• class
• speed
• tracking
• labelling
• ability
• strategies
• scoring

Argument

Oakes argues that students are labelled early on in their learning career and because of said labelling some students are given better opportunities then others. She believes that schools curriculm's must be altered to give all students equal opportunity and learning, not just higher learning students.

Evidence

1. "Students who are placed in high-ability groups have access to far richer schooling experiences than other students." (pg.178) Students that are put in higher learning classrooms are given better instructions and teaching but those that are put in lower learning are not given the same type of instructions and teaching. Consequently the students in the higher classrooms will get into better colleges and are given more opportunities to succeed in life. The students that are in the lower classrooms will not have as many opportunities to get into the good colleges.
2. "Heterogeneous groups of students will probably do best in classrooms where the curriculm content is challenging, complex, related to real life and- most of all- rich with meaning." (pg. 180) Students put in high ability classrooms are able to be taught in a different environment with different teachers. But those put in lower ability classrooms are not given the same amount of teaching because of the other distractions in the room. If students are the same age and divided into different groups of learning then they will not recieve the same education because they are taught in different environments with different teaching strategies.
3. "Obviously, the kinds of changes likely to promote high quality learning for all students in heterogenous classrooms go far beyond mere fine tuning of current practice. These changes also require fundamental changes in the structure of schooling and teachers work." (pg.180) Oakes is saying that schools cannot just simply change the way they operate. Teachers must change the way they teach students of different learning abilities, spliting them up is not the solution.

Comments

I really liked this article because it showed a important point that needs to be taken into consideration. Students are not given the same education if they are divided. Students should be in the same classroom as their peers, but at the same time given a designated time to attend to certain childrens needs. In my service learning classroom this situation takes place. Jose is a slower learner then most of the second graders in the class, he goes to a certain classroom one hour a day to work with a different teacher. This works! He gets to feel like he is part of a classroom while going to another classroom to attend his needs. Schools need to stop leaving kids with slower learning abilties behind, they are excluding them by putting them in a different classroom , not helping them.

Talking Points #5

Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer " In the Service of What?" The Politics of Service Learning"

Premise

• difference
• approaches
• learning and understanding
• effort
• charity vs. change
• accomplishments
• disadvantaged
• helpful/ helpless
• priorities
• interaction

Argument: Kahne and Westheimer argue that learning and service support each other and should be integrated into schools curriculm's not as a charity but as a changing experiance for the student.

Evidence

1. "In contrast, much of the current discussion regarding service learning emphasizes charity, not change." Kahne is trying to say that students need to feel a change or try to make a change rather then just being of service to the community. Although, their service is very valued, it may not be the right kind in order to evoke a change in the students.
2. A student in Mr. Johnson's class desribed her experiance with volunteering at a elderly home during Thanksgiving. Her experiance put emphasis more on charity then change. This helps the argument because although the student did do a act of community service she did not get to develop a caring relationship. She gave her time to the community instead of genuinely caring about the community and trying to change it. She did not get to interact with those she was helping and therefore did not get a good understanding of how to change the wrong things in the community.
3. "For them, it is the combination of service and critical analysis, not either by itself, that seems most likely to promote interest in and insight into these complex social issues." This quote helps explain why the service learning should not just be charity work. Charity work does not enable the person to connect with whom they are serving, it is simply an act of kindness. The correct kind of service learning is one that allows the person to connect and share with who they are serving and therefore gaining a better understanding of their lives and struggles and what needs to change in the world.

Comments

I enjoyed reading this article, even though it was a little bit boring. The article in itself had good points but there were too many outside voices thrown into it. I agree with the authors that there are different types of service. People can service learn and not ever connect or come in contact with who they are serving or they can be put one on one with the group. I think they prove a good point in saying that charity work does not promote change. If people are not able to interact then they will never realize the problems.I feel I am doing more then charity in my service learning, I am able to see what can be improved in school systems and what is working.

Transgender Connection

So I was flipping throught the channels Sunday afternoon and on the WE channel there was this documentary called "The Cruel and Unusual Treatment of Transgender women in Prison". And it was basically about people that were born men and were transgender ( making them feel women like) and how they were treated unfair while in prison. The show was completely shocking. Some of the prisoners did self mutilation because they could not get anyone to listen to them to help them get hormones or fix their problem. It was very sad what some women did to themselves just to get attention from the prisons. Other prisoners were disgusting towards them , they would rape them, force things upon them, do basically anything and everything to degrate them. And there was one specific woman that was one there that when he was a man he was very skilled in oil work and when he changed over to a woman he had the hardest time finding a job, he still had all the same skills and credentials, but he went under the name Linda. So because he had no way of making money he was forced to steal. It was a never ending cycle for him. I just thought the documentary completey connected to the struggles and hardship that transgender peopel are forced to deal with everyday that most people dont even know exist.

Talking Points #4

Linda Christensen " Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us"

Premise

• racial inequalities
• media influence
• women
• portrayal
• hatred
• "normal"
• learned lifestyle
• minorities
• change

Author's Argument: Christensen argues that children learn by the media how they should behave and who is good and who is bad and if people do not work to change media portrayal then there will be forever a problem with how kids are raised.

Evidence

1. "Our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live, and dream." This quote supports Christensen's argument because she is basically saying that cartoons,movies, and ADs that children watch give them somewhat of an idea of how they are supposed to live their lives. Example: Watching Cinderella gives little girls an idea of that they need to compete against their sisters for love of a man and they can only be happy if they are loved by a man.
2. "Why not stay ignorant about them and happy?" This helps support the argument in the sense that no one wants to push for change in the media and influences on children because they all grew up with the same movies and cartoons their kids are watching. They do not want to acknowledge that their favorite Disney movie discriminates against women. People do not want to address the problem because they do not want to make it known that there is a problem.
3. "But I want students to understand that if the race of the character is the only thing changing, injustices may still remain." This helps her argument because it is not simply just changing the race of the main character or the sex of the hero in the movie or cartoon it has to do with completely revamping how children understand movies and cartoons. Kids have to relearn everything that was normal to them through movies and cartoons.

Comments

It was a little hard for me to agree with this article when reading it because I grew up loving all Disney movies and all Saturday morning cartoons and for me to realize that there was racism and sexism present in them makes me upset. I fell in love with all Disney movies, I still own every single one of them and it is just uncomfortable to acknowledge that there is something wrong with them. I understand the point that Christensen is making but I think she is digging a little too deep. Do you really thing a five year old is going to see a servant that is colored and go "Oh look mommy Spanish people are servants." I know that was the last thing on my mind when I was five years old and watching those movies.Racism and Sexism is in every single piece of media basically and if you want to start by changing the one thing kids love (TV and movies) then go ahead, but your going to be taking something very important to them away.