Brown v. Board of Education - Connections

 

 

The links and videos about Brown vs. Board of Education reminded me of many things we have already covered in the class. Specifically, I thought of points made by the authors Johnson and Kozol.

Allan Johnson’s Privilege, Power and Difference takes a unique approach to class difference by stating that we are all part of the problem that is discrimination. He uses the story of Rodney King, who at his trial stated, “Can’t we all just get along?” King, a black man, was beaten by a group of police officers and brought to trial. Although it has been decades since the Civil War and the days of W.E.B. Du Bois, there is still so much discrimination of races, especially African American. In the video interview of Tim Wise, they discuss President Barack Obama’s impact on how African Americans are seen in the public eye. Wise agrees that although it is a step in the right direction, our society seems to only accept extraordinary, well-educated black individuals. This is a problem, because most of our society accepts plain, mediocre people (especially politicians), provided they are white. This is unacceptable in this day and age, and it is our job to educate our children that race should not be a determining factor in a person’s eligibility to do anything. Race does not limit us, but our opinion on what different races mean does.

Jonathon Kozol’s article “Amazing Grace” and the NY times article “Separate and Unequal” by Bob Herbert have many similarities. Kozol’s article focuses on the students living in the Bronx who live in very high poverty conditions. It is difficult for students in these conditions to worry about school when they are worried about where they will get their next meal or sleep. Although there is no longer a law saying that black students go to black schools, and white students attend white schools, it happens. In the Herbert article, he sums up how this happens. “Educators know that it is very difficult to get consistently good results in schools characterized by high concentrations of poverty. The best teachers tend to avoid such schools…These, of course, are the very schools that in which so many black and Hispanic students are enrolled”. Reading this I just kept thinking, this is so TRUE! All the time, older teachers will tell me not to work in the place I grew up because there are many poor students (who they have low expectations for). Both of these authors point out that students in poor communities do not get the same education as a middle class white family’s children.

 

Points to Share: How can we as teachers fix these gaps?

Kahne, Westheimer - "In the Service of What?" - Quotes

“They stress the importance of compassion for those in need, and they encourage children and young adults to find ways to help” (3).

The authors of this article did a study on the impact service learning has in K-12 classrooms. The two projects they highlighted were different, one being focused on giving charity, the other focusing on promoting change. However, any kind of service learning is better than no service learning. I think that it is essential for young people to be exposed to the idea of helping out the less fortunate. I think that it makes young people more conscious about the world and diversity around them as they grow up and become more independent.

 

“By engaging in meaningful service--whether tutoring children for whom English is a second language, helping patients in a hospital, doing difficult chores for the elderly, or supervising younger children's recreational activities--students will have opportunities to experience what David Hornbeck, former Maryland state superintendent referred to as ‘the joy of reaching out to others’” (5).

            I think it is interesting that these aspects of service learning were mentioned. I think the authors may have done so because these are examples almost every community could use.  I think Rhode Island has many great volunteer opportunities. As a middle or high school level student it would probably be easy to volunteer to help younger students, as many may have siblings of a similar age. Also, everyone has elderly living in their area, and I think that really great bonds could be made between students and the elderly. I also agree, as the article points out a few times, that students feel satisfied when they help their community.

 

 

”Rather than tie the service curriculum exclusively to moral development, some advocates of service learning talk about developing citizens for our democracy” (8).

 

When reading this quote, I was like what a great idea! My inner history teacher thought of a million lessons that could go along with this idea that we should be good citizens by performing duties for “America”. As I read on, I felt that it could be dangerous and it does suggest a political agenda that I may not want in my classroom. Then I thought of a few ways I could flip this to turn in into a whole other assignment about politicians in society and why they choose to promote certain values.

 

Here are some interesting statistics...

 

Things to discuss: What were my class mates school’s policies on service learning? What were some positive/negative experiences?

           

           

Orenstein, "Cinderella Ate my Daughter" - Reflection

 

I remember being at Disney World when I was six years old. In one of the souvenir shops, there was a beautiful princess dress modeled after one in “Beauty and the Beast”. I quietly asked my grandfather if he thought I could have it. He looked down at me and told me that no little girl needed a $100 dress to be a princess, and to him I would be a princess no matter what I wore. I was not pleased with this answer, but did not argue because I knew it would be fruitless. All the way home I thought about how badly I wanted that dress.  I wanted the dress because I wanted to look just like the princesses I had seen in the theme parks, and on TV, and in my pre-school.  My room, bedding, clothing, hair accessories and dolls are revolved around the Disney princesses. My parents are WONDERFUL people and would go to the moon and back for my sister and I. They let me choose many different paths in life and have always supported my decisions.  Having two little girls, they felt it was best to give us fluffy, butterfly, fairy princess items because that is what girls “like”. They wanted us to be accepted and have the things the other little girls in our neighborhood had. So growing up, I was spoiled. This affected my sister and I very differently. I was given a choice in what I liked, and as I grew older I lost interest in materialistic things and began to appreciate experiences with my family and friends more than shopping or playing dress up. As my sister got older, she did not lose interest in having the “Princess Life”. At 17, her room is modeled after the Victoria Secret’s “PINK” collection. Her life revolves around shopping, beautifying and spending money to gain “happiness”. I feel like she is only as satisfied as her last purchase, and I want to help her get out of these habits before she leaves home. I noticed that many of her friends and even girls my age fall into this and it concerns me. We need to start teaching our children that life is so much more than materialistic things and that children should be able to choose their own interests regardless of what they “should” want.

Points to share: How did boys or people with brothers feel about this article? I had a toolbox when I was younger and my parents were pleased with my decision. I wonder how they would feel if I had been a boy who wanted a barbie dream house? Did any boys ask for "girl" toys and play with them?

Christensen, "Unlearning the Myths that Bind us" - Reflection

As soon as I read the first page of Christensen I knew what I would discuss.  In my personal experience, my childhood revolved around Disney movies. As a white little girl, it was easy for me to imagine myself as the princess - as Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White are. I would play wedding with my next door neighbor’s grandson. After that I would go to my pretend kitchen and make my new husband some delicious play dinner. As a young girl, I thought my whole goal in life is to become a bride.  As I got older, Disney movies still played a role in my life. The princesses I figure to be in their late teens. They are all thin and beautiful. They have perfect hair, perfect outfits, and everyone who is good adores them. Well, I’ve never been all that thin, my hair is far from perfect, and not everybody wants to be my friend. In one of the courses I took in high school, we discussed how movies made us feel as children. While many other white girls in my class could relate to my experience, it was difficult for students of other races to agree.  That really opened my eyes to all the hidden education in Disney movies, as well as other children’s entertainment. I did a research project on some of the secret “messages” these movies give out. I talked with some of the little girls I babysat, and they all identified some sort of racist or sexist idea that they most likely learned from watching these movies.

Some examples were:

-          Bad people are fat and ugly

-          Princesses are the most beautiful, and they never have to go to work or school, but get the best husbands

-          If a man is not strong, handsome and charming he is bad

These were examples out of the mouths of four year olds. The way they see the world will be shaped because of this. To conclude, I found a video another student made to highlight some of the things I discussed.

 

Class discussion: What were other experiences, were they similar or different to my own?

August, "Safe Spaces" - Hyperlinks

“There’s a class that needs to be taught every day, that’s compassion. Teach the kids to be kind to one another”  ~ Ellen Degeneres

 

Ellen Degeneres, a famous comedian and show host, is an advocate for anti bullying in general. Her parting words on every show, are "Be Kind to One Another". She is a great role model, and she happens to be gay (which doesn't stop millions of people from watching her show). This video has clips from her past segments on anti gay bullying. On one episode, she invited the mother of a young man who committed suicide to be on her show to get public attention to what is happening to our youth. In this part, Ellen cries out to everyone that this has to be stopped. We are in a crisis, and it seems like every one is too afraid to make a stand on the issue. She begs that teachers help teach the kids at school compassion, and to not stay neutral on such topics. Bullying is never acceptable. Bullying to the point where these kids feel there is no way out is downright outrageous.

 

I feel it is important for us as perspective teachers to prepare ourselves now. It is inevitable that we will come across an issue of bullying in our classrooms and we need to be prepared on how to do so. The above video also opened my eyes to another factor - How YOUNG these kids are who are committing suicide. That means, this is not just a middle or high school level issue. This needs to be talked about early on. I looked into some ways these can be introduced. Aside from the books mentioned in "Safe Spaces" I found:

Elmer is a duck who gets bullied because he is a "sissy". He is even misunderstood by his father. Elmer performs a courageous act to save his father, and proves he is no different from any other duck.

 

 

 

"One Dad, Two Dad, Brown Dad, Blue Dad" by Johnny Valentine is also a great book to help children understand that not everybodies family dynamic is the same.

http://www.amazon.ca/One-Dad-Dads-Brown-Blue/dp/1555838480

 

Finally, I looked into some ideas to get the anti gay bullying movement going through out the whole school. Many of these programs have chapters, so there is one near us, or we can start one up.

Here are some school programs:

Gay Lesbian Straight Enducation Network http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/home/index.html

Geared toward younger grades. Nice tips on using inclusive language!http://www.welcomingschools.org/

Help with keeping in mind the needs of LGBT students in schools.

http://gsanetwork.org/get-involved/change-your-school/campaigns/lgbtq-inclusive-curriculum

 

Class discussion: http://www.ric.edu/unitycenter/lgbtq.php I wonder if going to the Unity Center would help if we had any additional questions or needed ideas on how to help our students more effectively.

 

 

Rodriguez, "Aria" - Argument

In the writing Aria, Richard Rodriguez uses his personal experiences to argue that it is very difficult understanding bilingualism, especially as a child. Rodrigues remembers feeling as if Spanish was some sort of private language that he could speak at home with his family and friends. On the other hand, English was a public language, something he had to learn in order to make it through school. Rodriguez wishes that someone, especially a teacher, would have made him feel welcome by trying to understand and call him by his native language. This lack of understanding from his teachers left him to slowly slip behind socially and scholastically. Like all parents, his wanted the best for him and agreed to practice English at home with the family. However, this pushed him in the right direction. He and his siblings became more publically independent. He spoke in class and gained confidence in his ability. Rodriguez no longer felt that he was an outsider and became “Americanized”. 

                On the other hand, the silence Rodriguez had once experienced at school was now felt at home because his parents did not understand all of the English that he had learned. As he learned more English, he lost much of his Spanish words or translations. It is interesting that Rodrigues points out that as the family grew more divided, his father became more silent. He uses a story about his father saying grace before meals in English wrong to highlight how embarrassing it could feel to not fit in with the culture around you. The fact that from then on the mother said prayer is interesting, as it changed the family roles. As Rodrigues grew, he finally came to the realization and understanding that there are two ways of individualization; private and public. Rodrigues feels that although he lost some of his private individuality, he gained public individuality by assimilating to the dominant culture.

Point to Share: I remember thinking it was cool having a bilingual friend. Maybe as educators we should encourage students to share their language and culture with their peers to make it feel less "weird". 

McIntosh "White Privilege" - Quotes

“I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious”(McIntosh 1).

 

This quote reminds me of something Dr. Bogad has said. Like McIntosh, Dr. Bogad believes we all have different tools, depending on our experiences. McIntosh compares being white to having a big set of tools, but pretending you do not notice that you are given more than somebody else. She believes that this is just as bad as acknowledging the privilege outright.

 

“When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization", I am shown that people of my color made it what it is” (McIntosh 2).

 

McIntosh gives a long list of things privileged people take for granted. The list brings up many things that I personally take for granted at times. This item is particularly important to me because one day I will be teaching the history of all different kinds of religions, races and sexes. I think it will be important to keep in mind how I present the information to my students in the future.

 

“Disapproving of the system won't be enough to change them. I was taught to think that racism could end if white individuals changed their attitude… Individual acts can palliate but cannot end, these problems” (McIntosh 6).

 

This quote sums up the idea that the way privileged people are taught to look at race is not the most affective. In Allan Johnson’s Privilege, Power and Difference, he discusses the fact that you are not doing anything wrong by being privileged or not. If a privileged group ignores the fact that they are better off, it doesn’t change how they try to “help”. By setting the standards of what is helpful to the standard of living they are accustomed to proves the fact that they feel superior and better off.