HW 58 -parenting 102

In class, we had a visit from Melissa. She shared with us her take on parenting and what she has been doing for the last couple years. Like any other parent, she mentioned how she enjoys being around her kids, and watching them grow. She has two kids, a boy and a girl. Her son is the oldest, and she believes that her son being born first before her daughter was a good thing, this way her daughter can grow to be more mature and well-behaved. She also mentioned how during their youth they will "meet: at a certain point. Like any other parent, she defended her parenting skills and her own children when criticized. Worse of all, and probably the most common critical, was her parents (the kids grandparents). She even mentioned how there was a huge fight once with all the adults once within the household when those comments were mentioned. Eventually we moved off that topic, and she mentioned how no matter the situation, that 'unconditional love' will always be there. When discussing her parenting habits, she said she doesnt want her kids to ever have television in their room. They are limited of there television time and also video-gaming hours or computer usage. A student in the class then asked, well what if they reach a certain age, where it'll seem odd for them not to have a TV in their room, will you still not provide them one? She responded saying, well at that point it will probably be most fair to give them one because they are now older, and her whole perspective on parenting revolves around being "fair". She reads to her kids. She also mentioned how she feel into those Society Ritual Timeline, such as dating a man, falling in love, first getting a dog, realizing maybe they should shoot for a kid.

I think Melissa is a very nice woman in general, and often honest. So to not believe her or how she says she parents her children would be ridiculous. However, i feel still that when in front of an audience, such as she was, only the positive aspects of her relationship with her children come out, never the negatives. Punishments or abusing children are never mentioned by them first. Also, how she mentions how she limits the kids activity hours, she doesnt mention whether it actually works, or if it prevails. I think that for her to react the way she did with her parents when hearing criticizing comments from them, based on her parenting skills, was only natural. No one likes to hear that. And shouldnt either. Unless they were literally the worse parents ever, but shes obviously far from that category.

I think this last unit on parenting that we are focusing on is similar to how we ended our Units last year, except that was with Midwifery. This is similar, just the step AFTER you have the kids, its like, Now what? This will help us to target ourselves in a certain direction. Although, unless i plan on being a teenage parent anytime soon i probably wont look to these rituals and ideas. At a certain age i plan to have kids, preferably 30 if life was GREAT but i doubt that late, with my luck ill end up around 25 with kids. But hopefully by then i have a great job or am leaning towards one. When it comes to kids, they say we have them to reflect our needs for affirmation. But if we dont have them, people feel pity on us or think we are either crazy, lowest of the low attractiveness-wise, or just have something wrong with our baby-making machines. Those who actually do have something wrong with their ovaries/sperm-count are the ones who pursue alternatives such as adoption or fertilization etc. The truth of the matter is, we need kids in order to keep this system alive. The world needs them.

In the movie "Demolition Man" the cop (Sylvester Stallone) is awakened from his frozen chambers and cuts his prison-sentence short as they need him to catch a criminal that is running loose in the future, the same criminal he has stopped in his own century. When he has the opportunity to have sex with a woman (Sandra Bullock) he is anxious because it has been so long, but in that time the thought of kissing and having physical relations means to swap fluids and risk high chance of illness. So she gives him this machine that virtually has sex with the other person. o_O

HW 57 - Parenting 101

I think there are several parenting skills. Parents are always labeled in two ways, either bad or good. Parenting skills are usually picked up from their own parents. Its not a stereotype thing tying into ethnicity. Some parents choose to hit their kids, but look down on those who put their own on leashes. Then those who put their kids on leashes frown upon those who physically abuse them. In my eyes, i think the leash is more morally wrong. It resembles dogs. I think kids are hit less often when their is two parent figures in their lives. And a "loving home" to come home to each night. If ever it were a single parent struggling not just financially, but by a way of connecting with their kids, they have to act as both parent figures, the mom/dad. They have to resort to violence or even threats to keep a superior stature alive in their household. In my personal life, i guess the best parenting i was exposed to with my own parents were whenever i was rewarded. Thats always good for a kid. But its not good to reward them when obviously they deserve the opposite. I think its important for kids to be surrounded by grandparents. That is because grandparents care for their grandchildren much differently then they did their own children. It is they're one chance to spoil them evenly. Even though my grandmother was different from what im imagining. Im pretty sure she hated visits from us. At least, until my grandfather passed away. THen it was just her. Obviously its wrong to abuse your children in public. So if ever i were put in that position, id wait until we got home and punish them. i would hit my own kids. But i wouldnt beat them to a pulp! thats morally wrong in so many ways. But getting the message out definately helps too. No books were read in my family. Truthfully, thats for first time parents that concern way too many things that shouldnt be stressed. Parents pretty much just read previous family's parenting skills and steal that with some tweeks of their own. Its funny how every generation of parents always say "you got it good" or "back then it was worse". Naybe thats because over time the parents are getting lighter on enforcement. Or maybe the tantrums and acting up that kids then went through, we have way more electronics to distract us from that.

"I simply had to present my child with endless choices throughout the day- choices I was comfortable with (red sippy cup or yellow? Story first or bath first? Bedtime now or in 5 minutes?). This would help them feel in control and empowered, and when it was time for Mommy to take charge and make a decision, they would go along, because of all the choices they already had."

A little quote i found from the article bashing the "Love and Logic" book. Based on the advice given from L&L, it sounds pretty fair and maybe even do-able. Unfortunately, the woman fortunate enough to try and respond to its tactics have a few words of advice for skeptical parents.

"The problem is that my children must not have read the book. They do not respond the way the book says they will. Giving them endless choices has made my life much, much harder."

That sounds even more believeable. Those authors who write these novels trying to help "underachiever" parents are the same ones who magically wound up with the most innocent child ever. Also, they probably only have ONE child of their own. SO to win the battle of parenting against just one child, the odds are pretty even. What about those who have to fight against two or even three each morning/afternoon/night?

HW 56 - Survey questions

questions to ask:

1. If you are now, or were in a relationship, do you consider yourself to be the one "wearing the pants"?
2. Do you think a relationship is based on a superior/inferior script?
3. Is having dominant control over your companion healthy?

Jasper:
Uhhhhhhhh well yeah because that's how people think it's supposed to be in society the boy is supposed to "wear the pants" , I don't really understand the second one but I don't think that's what a relationship is based on it might be part of it, nd i think it's unhealthy you and your companion should have equal control over each other that's the only way it could be fair

Sam:
From previous relationships i think i wear the pants but its in certain situations not all. Not necessarily dominant control is healthy i think having a healthy relationship is what you put in and give or and should be split between the two.

After asking two separate people these questions, i got similar responses. Getting the same response from two different perspectives, a boy and girl, led me to the idea that perhaps everyone responds to this topic a certain way, the way it should be. But just because it should be this way doesnt necessarilly mean they are living to their own beliefs. If asked this, id probably respond the same way. But one umentioned factor is how when the time comes that you have the decision to make that overrules your companion, one will take it. I think that "equality" within the relationship rule goes out the window. No one wants to be the woman in the relationship, not the man, not even the woman! If everything was equal and smooth sailing no couples would be breaking up or becoming bored of each other than. No one likes boring.

follow up question (soon to be revised):
Can couples commit to an equal say on all behalfs?

HW 55 - Question/Topic research

1- "Why do interpersonal-relationships set by first name basis create for itself more importance than those relationships not based on first-names?"

"Why do male and females feel overwhelmed by their companions when seen as inferior to the other?"

2- Juliette: I think your question will be a tough one to answer. And female marriage counsellors exploring the reasons as to why MEN cheat seems a little one-sided. Its an interesting topic however. But i think only two main points doesn't open a window to the reasoning of why men cheat, there is probably millions of reasons and even ones us including the therapist have never considered. Try revising your topic question to make it even better.

Yurelis: I think your topic question is simple. Sometimes the simpler the better. But maybe to get yourself started you should label some interesting facts/opinions or research as to what really does make a good friend. Also, another suggestion is whether you wanna dedicate your topic to the word "good". Explore different meanings such as great, best, or even plain friend.

bibliography: COMING SOON

HW 54 - Similar Minds Thinking Test analysis

ESTJ - "Administrator". Much in touch with the external environment. Very responsible. Pillar of strength. 8.7% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

This test is supposed to define a person for the personality they portray. Out of 48 questions, maybe 20+ i answered the 50% mark. So that answer right there can go both ways, whether i slant more towards very much disagree or very much agree with. The results could lead to any direction if thats so. It even states that in order to see your alternative personality results, to simply refresh the page. That's just dumb to me. One final result would have made me feel more comfortable than two.

For 48 questions i sort of breezed through answering them. They were pretty simple. But i dont know if 48 simple questions can help define a person better than 48 hard questions. Truthfully, i dont think these results were so accurate. Because one time i took a free presonality test from Chase Bank, and they used the same rubric, only they're questions were compiled of only 5. After five questions, it labeled me as a "ENTP." the results explained alot more on that one. Coincidentally, i also received a ENTP on this one, but as my first results, the ones posted show the 'alternative'. I dont think this was useful because if a test with only five questions can give me the same results, is it worth it taking 43 extra questions? the answers no.

I think this test is more to infer you on what kind of career you should look into. Naturally, adults never love their job. But they have to do it day in and day out. Im guessing this test is just to help someone pursue their dream-job. In class we been discussing alot about interpersonal relationships. Any relationship you can think of. But we been discussing the outer shell of it, like how we interact with our everyday mailmen or MTA workers or teachers or sanitation workers. The difference from how we act with teachers to mailmen is very different because for starters, teachers know us by a first-name basis. Mailmen only deliver their mail, to several people in an apartment building, this isnt the movies where the mailman is very friendly and knows everyone that is on their route. For us to not speak to them means we will be less open and share alot less than with teachers/friends/families. Also it all depends on your social level etc. i guess thats where this "personality test" comes in.

HW 53 - Survey Analysis

After taking the survey, i realized that during there were so many questons that i began to answer as though my answer were mild. For example, ones i didnt feel like answering i answered with "idk" or "n/a". Some of the questions were able to make me think are these really anonymous? because they better be. They were some pretty private questions, or at least the way to look at them were they were questions that no one has bothered to ask me in person. Some on school, family, friendship, suicide, future, depression, disorders, etc. I dont suffer from none of those, but something made me wonder who would be answering them yes.

After finally seeing the results from all who answered these questions, i saw that each question had a separate majority answered question. Some were IDK or YES or NO. There were a small percentage and a high percentage shown for every category answered. But what i brought up in class during our whole discussion was that it said only an average of 52 respondents had answered, so if there were a whole of 19% of kids who answered YES to ever considering suicide, thats just under 10 students. thats 10/50 = 1/5 which means almost 20% of those who responded are considering or have considered suicide......
Another thing to consider was what in math terms is considered a "hidden variable" or "lurking variable". Suppose 3 kids are asked the question "Do you drink alchohol?" the results were 1/3 kids say they drink alchohol, but you add an additional 1 kid for those who did not admit truthfully to the question, and that is an approximate 2/3 kids who drink alchohol. So the suicide question could have been even higher if including a percentage of those who did not answer truthfully. Really makes you think....

After reading results from the survey DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE" i noticed that besides the ritual techniques of releasing certain results, they did something that caught even my attention, which means it must have been effective to many others as well. They mentioned how "only 8% of sexually active teens use birth control pills, the most effective means of preventing pregnancy", this is significant because they took a proactive treatment, and used its small percentage of usage by teens to represent how little the safe-sex message reaches teens ears. They were able to flip a good thing into a bad, but the 8% really was bad so maybe it isnt there fault or blaming them to be bias, they just reported it.

HW 52 - Initial theories of Human relationships

Theres too many human relationships experienced in a whole day. To name them all is impossible just as this assignment says, but i sure can think of enough to fill up an entire Homework assignment. From this morning to where i am now, the kind of different human relationships i was apart of today were with my mother, i acted as if her being up as early as i was was unnecessary since im the only one who really gets up every morning for school, no one else has any reason to. It was as much avoidance as i could.

I had a certain appearance kept in front of the other people in my train car. I remember there being a few attractive girls too so that might've messed with it too. I had a certain relationship with the security guard at the school because at the end of the day she is still someone who represents authority.

The students share a certain relationship with me, some i just keep distance from those who i dont i associate myself with them. I have a certain relationship with the teachers, especially depending on the teacher. The principal gets a more involved relationship then how the teachers interact with me.

I have a certain relationship with the cafeteria people because they are the ones who handle my food. Janitors, MTA works, store workers, my co-workers, boss, family, girls etc. It goes on. We do this because theres always a reason for everything. The cafeteria ppl because they handled your food, the principal because he handled your education, your family handles your financial needs, store workers handle your needs, friends handle your social needs, everything has a reason.

Love ties into family, friends, hobbies, and interests. No one does anything without interest involved in it. Whether you hate your job but go anyway, your interest is in the money. Family is something that i think i've learned to love. There always there for you and really arent going anywhere. Of course, there are some exceptions to this, but its really the gist of it. Parents dont raise and feed and clothe a person unless there were certain interest in it. That interest MUST be love. Whether it was deep down scraped the bottle of one's emotions, nevertheless its still there. Hobbies people do because they choose to do this, the one thing that doesnt feel alienated from them. But of course, this is just what i think, what the hell do i know.

HW 51

1. School as salvation - what can schools realistically do to address the systematic problems of inequality, anti-intellectualism, and meaninglessness in our society? (Savior Teacher Films, Obama speech, Sizer, Freire, Hirsch, Delpit, interviews, own thoughts

In my opinion schools don't explore much further options for uniting educational groups within schools. There's only two kinds of everything, the smart and the dumb, the good and the bad, than the cool and the uncool. No matter the curriculum and appropriate programs that can benefit multi-groups of students, high school will always be high school. Those options that are "explored" are usually only for targeted people. Even if they go along with a plan for students and upraising their academics they still only get through to a small percentage of students.

Those savior teacher films are a little over-dramatic. Not every single student will have problems that are life-threatening. And those who even do, teachers will not address those problems as if they're separate life outside the school ill interfere with his teaching. Absences will never be solved due to one teacher, and kids will always be kids.

HW 50 - SOF Educator

Some one i interviewed with my class as a whole was Mr. Copeland. During our interview i voice-recorded our entire conversation. We asked him about how he became to teaching in the style he does, while teaching American History. One question asked of him was shouldnt you be fully aware of what you are teaching before having started as a teacher, and his response was "does a doctor know every single thing there is to know before going into medicine without ever having to open a medical book again? no, they continue to brush up on it and learn more just as the students as they go on." When a student asked him if he's ever come across or even already saved a student. He responded saying "saved them from what?" he believed, much like i do, that its just a stereotypical archtype that is only portrayed within movies. "Inspiring" is another road he didnt want to admit he was going down, only because he felt he had his own messes in his life to clean up. He says his style of teaching was inspired by this outrageous looking College professor who was the first person to ever be at fault for exposing him to radical teaching styles. He wanted to "emulate" his style somewhat. To see himself as any other profession would be in the music industry, although he loves to mix it up, beathoven etc. It outrages him but is expected to see that culturally we have moved in a different direction. No more classes like art or dance or music, before it was mandatory and specialized, but now it is almost complimentary.

HW 49

My "personal" contribution to our class film was helping Victor (our writer) come up with a screen-write and shooting the scenes myself. I honestly didnt trust any others to hold the camera because i felt i could do a better job, which i did. It was pretty smooth and clever the shots.

My analysis of the message found in the film was that by striving to reach out to the troubled students, using already clique savior/teacher techniques found in popularized movies, he was unsuccessful in connecting to the individuals. if only he resolved to creative ideas and never before seen moves could he have been successful in gaining their trust.

Although, compared to such movies like Dangerous Minds and Freedom Writers, Andy's mediocre acting skills within the classroom didnt demonstrate a non -hostile environment. Unlike the other films, the students managed to remain unsaved, and the teacher fails and sinks even lower.

The connection between salvation and education/schooling in our culture is that the students are placed into a classroom and given this teacher who is supposed to teach them and rub knowledge and wisdom onto them. Students who do not take into their lessonplan or whatever agenda they have going on, is automatically seen as an oddball to the teacher(s) and is labeled. Even a great school full of nothing but great kids, MUST have an unsaved. There could be a student who gets good grades but not as good as the rest, he MUST be restraining from the teacher's lessonplans, a troublemaker he must be. Thats ridiculous. In our culture, we are typical loose-cannon teenagers that set fire to the next adult living under rules that walks through the door. Its the typical movie settings i blame -__-

EC Opportunity - "The Class"

Discussing Souleymane and the road he went on in school, i feel it was inevitable for him to be expelled from his school. Nonetheless, he was a good kid, just compared to the others he seemed to be the most highly troubled. When he presented the self-portrait to his teacher, he hanged it up for the entire class to see and allowed his work to be praised by all. In that brief moment, you can see how his eyes lit up and accepted the praise. I dont hold the teacher responsible for what happenned, or at least i didnt want to. Even during the teacher-commitee it was two-sided, some didnt know whether to blame the teacher's remarks or just souleymane alone for igniting his actions. i couldnt blame the teacher for becoming mad at the student reps for blurting out information that is syupposed to be confidential, but to expect two girls that are more close to their classmates than their teacher is also expected for them to look out for them and deliver word on what is said about them, and might even be used to personally alter ways in order to avoid defeat by teachers. For Souleymane to be furious to hearing that he is seen as just "limited" is acceptable on his part, but still shaky as to whether it was a reason to create a scene.


Refelcting on Souleymanes actions, just as the rest of them are, they are only 14 and 15 years old. The teachers in the school expected them to be perfect angels and saw behaviorial attitudes set by them to be an increasing slump by them yearly. To hear "trouble' and "attitudes" repetitively by them was actually exxagerated to me, because compared to what i know as bad students or even a bad high school, that school seemed very good to me. If that one incident is referred to as a "carwreck" i dont know what one is than. Khoumba, as an example, had a public confrontation with the teacher over being picked on, and after admitting to not being sorry for her actions, she wrote a letter to him explaining her side and whatever discretion she felt. That alone seemed more mature and unexpected from any other regular 14 15 yr old. And for the teachers to already praise twei more than all the rest, was a little exposing as to how teachers really felt about their students, despite the sympathetic dilemmas twei's mother got herself into, the scene involved the teachers coming up with an idea for raising money for Twei's mothers lawyer, but soon after pop open a bottle of champagne. hmmm....

When discussing choices and morality created by the students within the film, i feel no one even including the teachers made unorthodox choices that could've been handled better. I thought the film was realistic in most ways, especially for a french school that i have never been exposed to but can only imagine. "Training" to become better at making idealistic choices can only go any further than within school and home, or for a workplace when discussing adults. One point made by esmeralda within the film that i did like, was that when heard by Mr. Marlin she had told Julie, another teacher, about him calling her and louise Skanks. Esmeralda, confronted by the teacher why she spoke to Julie and not him directly, said You can talk about students without them knowing it goes both ways. I think teachers sometimes forget their positioning based on their position of power, which can only go so far. They have to keep a group of students as "tamed" as possible and if ever one was to act out as strout out as possible, they are taken to their higher seened power, the principal. Everyones a pawn. Schools just a way to TRY and train us. But then by the end of the year, just as shown in the film, some dont even learn much or sometimes nothing at all. How trained can we be, mentally.

HW 48 - Treatment for savior/treatment

possible title: "credentials"

introduction: The newest teacher tries to engage doubted students to higher levels of curriculum in order to prove other teachers wrong, including the students themselves. After what seemed to be an impossible gesture of reaching out to the kids, only until the teacher's unanticipated move of not giving the students up for something they did, do they come to the realization that he is someone worth trusting.

Jason Scheffer, a middle-aged man with a passion for teaching, enrolls himself into one of the not-so finest schools of New York. With his first day there consisting of hateful remarks made by the teachers about the kids, his first day meeting the students ended exactly how the other teachers painted it for him. With a class full of smart-mouthed kids with no respect or expectations for themselves, his approach to reaching them became, while being rejected from the start, bleaker and bleaker. Only until a conflict between the students and Mr. Scheffer arise where they are caught with drugs and the actions set by Scheffer of not turning them in do they see a glimmer of trustworthyness within him.

Seeing a single chance at grabbing the kids attention, while still having earned an ounce of their trust, was snatched by him instantly, where a discussion with the kids in the class (mostly adressing the boys) about gang-violence and tough-guy personas leads to him throwing out a random quote in hopes of catching the students attention. "You can take the dog out of the fight, but you cant take the fight out of the dog." After liking what is heard the group of students ask who said this, and after responding to them Mark Twain, does he decide to continue speaking of Mark Twain and other words of wisdom shared by him. Taking a higher interest in the author and his writing the teacher decides to move onto actual literature, exposing to them the story of Huckleberry Finn. While reading on the students use Mark Twains writing to connect to their own lives of Huckleberry Finn, where they see him only as a troublemaker with higher hopes for himself, just like themselves seen by the teacher.

Being surrounded by a few kids of the whole slowly expose to him the highly troubled lives they lead. A boy with the conflict of having to choose between money and his pregnant girlfriend or a H.S. diploma, and a girl who's mother's repetitive drunken state pushes her to where she must replace the single-mother duties that are not fullfilled for her two younger sisters in need of a decent home environment, thus leading to a slip in her attendance.

After a huge after-school conflict between the teacher and the pregnant boy, Mr. Scheffer confronts the boy's implyment of him not needing school anymore. In doing so, the teacher calls his bluff by simply giving him 65's for the rest of the year, so that he passes without even having earned it and so it can be a win-win. To the teacher's surprise, the boy shows back up to school a few days later even with the already passing grade to show that he wants more out of this. Showing his change to the teacher, leaving him with the thought that he has offcially reached out to these kids and also changed their ways.

After everything seemed to be perfect for Mr. Scheffer, and the kids as well, Mr. Scheffer is stripped of his teaching title over at the high school because of a late dicovery by the board of ed that Mr. Scheffer is an ex-convict. After being fired embarrassingly in front of all of his students, the kids end back in square one as their minds drift to the thought that Mr. Scheffer was only filling their minds with lies, how they can graduate become successful and get good jobs with their lives. With only a month and a half away from graduation, some on thin lines to graduating, meet a slump in which they end back at their original state not caring about their own education and such. Mr. Scheffer confronts the students in the streets one night, (partial amount of the kids, not entire class) about the fact that he was a convicted felon, but because he severely hurt an off-duty policeman for having found out he was sexually harassing one of his students. In an unfortunate timeline of events for Mr. Scheffer the policeman's higher power and word over his led to him being thrown in jail for a sentence of 2 years. While reaching out for forgiveness from his students, Mr. Scheffer wins back the hearts of his students. Still not allowed to teach them within the high school walls, does he begin to tutor them outside the school in order to complete their remaining High School time.

HW 47 - Class Film Preparation 1

After reading another students blog to get an idea of what my classmates are thinking for this film, ive come to only one conclusion. It it that based on film reviews made by us on the films watched in class, only one element is used, role switching. Someone HAS to be saved, that is the idea, whether its from teacher to student or student to teacher. Why cant both parties be saved? Through the students change overcoming whatever oppressive scene we shoot, the teacher, after being seen as a well respected man who gains their trust, is realized to have his own problems just outside these school walls. Through ONE student's hopes to return what he has given him, they help the teacher to realize his own potential and give up whatever issues he has restraining him within to outstanding heights he can easily get to. (e.t. cheating husband, or dead son, hidden criminal record, or preaching to students that they can have it all but he lives in a dump on a measly salary, contradicting self)

but while writing this i have come up with a new idea, thats sort of how my brain works. As the students are exposed to this entirely new teacher, afar from the one of two they meet which are 1) either care too much 2) or doesnt care enough meets one who is in between. Only there for the paycheck, doesnt teach if they dont wanna learn, etc. In hopes of proving the teacher wrong that they arent entirely hopeless and have more potential than realized, they begin to show sparks of interest into the curriculum and shape up without him having to show pursuasion (secretely does). So as the students shape up the teacher begins to shape up and begins to appreciate his job, (possibly going to work drunk, begins to sober up)--last idea can be used for the first idea movie too!))

HW 45 - More Big Thoughts on Schools

Please examine some of the following texts. Create a one paragraph summary of the main argument of each of the two thinkers. Using quotes from the text make arguments of your own that address (in a paragraph or two each) one or more of the following angles:

(Notes)
"Cultural Literacy:What every American needs to know"
This best-selling, ground-breaking work spells out the theory behind the Core Knowledge® movement. To be able to function and prosper in society, one must possess the background knowledge that literate writers and speakers assume their audiences already share. Those who know it are culturally literate; the opportunities of a free society are open to them. Schools that neglect to impart this core knowledge leave their students seriously deprived and our democracy weakened.

E.D. Hirsch
>father of the "core knowledge" movement
>"It has no scientific foundation and is used to hold kids back,"
>he explained, that "not every child is learning about James Monroe in the first grade."
>Hirsch worries mostly about elementary schools
>believed, "Students should be able to read and know basic number facts by the end of the first grade"


debate with Ted Sizer over education standards.....

Ted Sizer
>founded the Coalition of Essential Schools
>insisted that coherent standards are needed but must grow from the values of teachers and parents within a school.
>"when smart, devoted peple are given running room to shape standards, students succeed"
>Sizer worries mostly about high schools
>believed "Students should leave school as well-informed skeptics, able to ask good questions as a matter of habit,"
>said, "They correlate with rich parents and not much else. We have to stop equating serious education with test scores."

same.....
>Both agreed that testing results reflect reading levels in elementary grades


3. What additional points does reading these theorists make you think of, about your own education and philosophy?

After reading over certain main ideas and arguments shared by the two theorists, what it instantly made me think of was my own education here in High School. But not just the High School curriculum, my whole life time spent in school. Whether it be elementary school or midddle school or even High School, their beliefs make sense in any tutorial. Although, from what i read about both Hirsch and Sizer, was that the two mainly spent their time arguing over the traditional education in middle school and High School. It makes sense to dangle over the two because Middle school comes right before High School, and a student's freshman year always reflects upon the students education level and the school in which he received it. This can connect to my own life because my freshman year consisted of good grades, especially in Math. Except what we were learning there i already covered in my 8th grade class. The significance of that is because i went to a Catholic School in Manhattan up until 8th where i did not cover things such as this, but once i went to a public school for only one year i covered all the essential curriculum it seemed.

Sizer believed that a school's given education to be placed upon their students was chosen based on the test scores received, placing them in certain learning brackets. What was conclusive to me about their whole debate was that both were preaching about two separate matters. Hirsch saying, "Students should be able to read and know basic number facts by the end of the first grade", believed that whatever problems that lye were merely placed blamed onto early grade level's and their chosen curriculum. In my opinion, not all students can be reached the same progressively, especially when there must only be one curriculum and an outnumbered amount of students to the teacher. but i also do understand the worries that the two gentleman share for students and whether they are being "taught" by the teacher or by the curriculum she places in front of them.

Strog efforts for reaching out to students can only go so far. Especially when the discussion of certain topics approach. you can maybe drive over practiced curriculum and just go for it with students, when being taught English, but to look pass practiced curriculum with Math and assume students can catch up is just an impractical thought.

HW 40 - School Interviews and Analysis

Based on what was discussed in class, a connection between both school and motivation, whether it be made through the school's students or teachers, the following question was generated. "When the principal walks into students classrooms for those few minutes to evaluate things, is the principal evaluating the teachers or the students? And despite who is being evaluated, during the principal's presence, if a teacher or student begins to act or behave their most best for those few minutes, jumping into roles, How can actual headwork be made by the principal to improve?

responses:
myself: i believe the principal is evaluating the teachers through us. Evaluating students means to find out how they are taking to a teacher's unit and also class behavior. If one's behavior is not as expected for a classroom enviroment, it is also the teachers job to control them. I also think that no real headwork can be made, because it is based on what is seen or heard through the students mouths to their principal. Changes would be made, but none that would genuinelly benefit.

my brother: He said he thought the principal is evaluating the teachers more than the students as students and their work reflects upon the job that is being done by the teacher. He also thought that if the principal tried the surpise pop-in more then he could get a better idea of how the students act or the interactions made between them (students and teachers).

my friend: He said he thought the Principal was more likely taking notes on the students actions. He also thought that the principal should try the technique of sneaking up on students more.

my teacher: He said he thought that my question was an excellent one, and that its true the Principal does have a hard time making headwork on beneficial changes. Although, he said the teacher was the one being more evaluated, he felt that if students didn't change their way of acting when the principal walks in he would get a better understanding. he also stated that in the presence of the principal, teachers dont change their ways, only the students do, a habit in which they have to get out of.

my principal:He is evaluating both teachers and students, looking for different things each times. he thought that for headwork to be made kids would have to step up and stop reenacting. He said one good thing about a small school is you learn to understand most of the kids, and in situations like those you can analyze them for whether they are acting as theirselves or not.

Please synthesize insights from your interviews (that you figured out or that someone said) to write a paragraph or two about a particular aspect of school that you find important and interesting.

I always looked at High School as "the greatest four years of your life". It became totally the opposite. Maybe its the urban to suburban rule that i overlooked, nevertheless, i experienced nothing i imagined i would the day before my very first day. For starters, i always thought id be having gym at least once a day, visualizing an entire track and field with matching uniforms. Even though there are more important matters overlooked within school hours, like foreign language and Art. Except.... in my School those two aspects are too valued lesser than imagined. One year of French and One year spanish, with the school knowing that one year of Basic french and spanish wont really advance my expertise in them anymore. Art, was a freshmen course, where we didn't even look into famous art or art that inspired past centurions. The truth is, Schools are only worried about credentials, and not the ones earned by students. Like any other business, the school is one filled with employees and an employer, who conclusively have to meet certain quotas. No more credit recovery, because the Superintendent is visiting sooner or later, and hopes for certain students (myself included ESPECIALLY) are no longer benefitted in a year that is most drastic to them, senior year. And the random need to change our image to a more "spiritual" one as a whole has another whole hidden agenda behind it, one yet explored. Im talking about the need for these pep rallies. idk man....

From my responses in part A, including my own, i think that in the presence of the principal, students and even sometimes teachers will change roles. Their original state of being more wilder than expected in a classroom is turned into the perfect student-teacher relationship once they enter the room. But once the principal sees only what the students want him/her to see, the changes he makes that are to "benefit" us are made only based on the flaws he sees within a classroom. But if we expose him to none how is actual headwork supposed to be made within a classroom?

HW 39 - First school Assignment

Part A:
Three of the most interesting, fascinating, and powerful questions to come across my mind, lets see... i dont know if they will be powerful let alone interesting but they are the ones that some people might ponder upon just as much as i did. "What is the meaning of substitute teachers if they arent replacing the lessonplan for the day?" "Why are classes like music/drama and others are not mandatory but Physical education is?" "Shouldn't there be more classes that teach kids things they will need to know for jobs in the future? i.e. how to use programs on a computer rather then how to use a scientific calculator? Instead of learning truth/tables or probability, why not further explore revenue and learn how to take inventory.

Part B:
For my brother's graduation, his graduating class wore the traditional cap/gown with a colored tassel and colored stole. Only the colors were all different, categorized, based on the major they finished with. I thought it was pretty cool that they could not only choose their classes but the major they wanted to finish with. That could easily reflect onto a college they would choose and what road or path they would follow soon after. In SOF, we not only dont have the priviledge of choosing our classes, but are forced to interact and do classroom activities/projects with the same students for an entire year. Only times are you able to mingle with different students are in different grade levels, if you are lucky. Also, i dont even know what kind of major i will be graduating with, my brother graduated as a business major in his High School, some math and some art, and another major i cannot remember. But what will i graduate as? and if it comes out to be the same major as every other single kid in my graduating class, is it fair for everyone to be that one major, if everyone has different plans and pursuits after High School?

HW 38 - Art Project Cool

Untitled from Stephanie Adames on Vimeo.

1.) The message that my group and i tried portraying here was a person who is seen by everyone else as "cool" but the way he approaches cool is by being a jerk to all who surround him. Also, he maintains this role within school, classrooms, hallways, but given the opportunity, such as seen in the "student council meeting" held in the auditorium, he shows a bright side to himself that demonstrates him stepping out of his playted role for one second and showing another side to himself.

2.) We literally winged each step. Group members all shared ideas of what we could do that would be something a jerk during school hours would actually do, while shooting. All our takes were done within one History period. Every idea was either added onto or changes were suggested upon, leading to what we had conclusively. I played the role of the "insightful jerk" and helped come up with how to direct/setup each scene.

3.) I wouldnt consider this to be art. Art is something that everyone can create a connection to, whether it be personally or an outside-connection to the world. Our video remains strictly within a school environment. And for every HW assignment to be an art project, and for students always choosing the option of a video to demoinstrate art, i believe is to be the easy way out rather than taking the time to do something special and meaningful, including myself.