School Girls- Peggy Orenstien

School Girls is about...

• Hidden curriculum
• Male dominance in eduacation
• Gender equality
• Teaching methods
• Inclusive education
• Girls vs. Boys

Arguement

Peggy Orenstein argues that a gender fair curricula must be established in all subjects and all traditional assumptions on how students should learn should be reexamined. By creating a gender fair curricula, retaining a girls self esteem will be alot easier, even though there isn't a formula that can do this.

Evidence

1. " This is a classroom that's gone through the gender looking glass. It is the mirror opposite of most classrooms that girls will enter, which are adorned with masculine role models, with male heroes, with books by and about men"(4.)

2. "Curriculum should be both a window and a mirror for students , that they should be able to look into other's worlds, but also see the experiences of their own race, gender, and class reflected in what they learn"(5.)

3. " McIntosh had developed a five phase curricular model based on the changes she'd seen educators go through when trying to teach inclusively"(15.)

4. " Feminist teaching isnot about allowing a win/ lose situation to develop between boys and girls"(16.)

Points to share, Questions and Comments

I never realized how male dominated curriculum's can be. But in class we did see how changes in women and men bodies are expressed. In a short paragraph about menastration, it was expressed very negatively. While men's semen was expressed positively and seemed more cherished. This was the first time I realized how male dominance affect the way we portray ourselves and how we feel about ourselves as women. I did realized in my history class in high school and in college that women were only taught as a way to show the roles they played in the lives of men. Such as being housewives, mothers and women struggles to becoming more than just a wife and mother. We never learned more than that,women weren't as important as men and how they affected history.

Schooling Children with Down Syndrome- Christopher Kliewer

Schooling Children with Down Syndrome is about...

Equality Education

Down Syndrome

Acceptance

Democracy

Disability vs. Ability

Citizenship

Valures

Reciprocity

Arguement

Christopher Kliewer argues that acknowledging students with down syndorme as thoughtful, creative, and intrested learners with personal identities that distinguish them from all other people suggest an individual value that enhances any context containing the child. In classrooms that recognize all children as citizens, teachers and peers have rejected the image of community burden attached to down syndrome.



Evidence

1. Now that we know that people with disablities can learn and have a full, rich life. The challenge is to erase negative attitudes about people with developmental disabilities, get rid of the stereotypes and break the barriers for people with diabilities.(Kingsley, 1996 p.6)

2. " Culture of segregation surroundng people with diabilities actually teaches underdevelopment of thinking through the isolation of children from socillay valued opportunites. [...] Altering the culture of disability requires that a child be recognized as an active learner, a thinker, and a problem solver"(83.)

3. "School citizenship requires that students not be categorized and seperated based on presumed defect"(85.)

Points to share/ Questions/ Comment

This article made me think of how disabled people are viewed in society and how I viewed the disabled. Reading this article made me realized that disabled people regardless of thier disability are capable of learning. During my volunteering at Pleasant View Elementary School, I am working with bilingual students but there are a few students who I mentally challenged. It is very difficult working with them because you must use two different methods of teaching when you are working with a mix of mentally challenge children and "normal" or average students. I don't think theres really a such thing as normal...but average students who can learn at the same capacity. To me... it seems unfair to mix them up because you hold students back from learning. But down syndrome children may be different, just because they look different doesn't mean they are incapable of learning with the average child. I do not know exactly how down syndrome can affect learning or intelligence but regardless of the matter, all children have different methods of learning. They should be taught accordingly. If down syndrome does affect their learning...than maybe it is best that they are taught seperatly.But if a teacher notices that this child is capable of learning more, than maybe they should be switched to an average class. I don't think segregation is good at all, but their learning should be based on their skills, capacity to learn and their intelligence.

One More River to Cross- Charles Lawrence

One More River to Cross is about....

• Failure
• Success
• Racial segregation
• Inferiority
• Superiority
• White vs. black
• School systems
• Desegregation
• Power
• Remedies

Argument

Charles Lawrence argues that the Brown decision created a form of thinking about segregation that has allowed society and the judiciary to deny the reality of race in America Recognizing that segregation existed is an important remedy judically and politically.

Evidence

1. " Once the system is established, any attempt to distinguish "active" govermental involvement in racial segregation from "passive" or nuetral tolerance of private segregation is illusionary"(286).

2. "Blacks are told we have no right to an end to the institution of segregation, and in bith cases we are told that this is so because the injury we claim is figment of our imagination"(292)

3. "The oppressor's understanding of his oppression is limited by self intrest, and ultimately we must find ways to make our oppression operate against the self intrest of thos in power"(293).

Points to share/ Comments/ Questions

The Brown vs. Board of Education case was a turning point in education and has affected the lives of everyone since. I found it very intresting that black schools during segregation in the South was superior to the white schools. I always thought it was the opposite, especaily since it was a time of racism and blacks were seen as inferior within the society. But in reality segregation continues to exist in our society based on race and wealth. When I was living in the South Bronx the people living in that neighborhood were hispanics and blacks and seeing whites in our community was rare unless they were from a phone, cable or housing company. Asians lived in our neighborhood but ran the chinese restuarant. Like Jonathan Kozol said i n Amazing Grace 86 street was the last stop on the train for whites or maybe even 125th. When I moved to Rhode Island...to Barrington the town is surrounded by whites and I don't even know another colored or hispanic family within my community. The members of my church are all white and my family is the only Guatemalans/ blacks in this church. We are not treated differently from the others at the church but the difference is there and blaintly obvious to anyone who isn't blind. Segreation in the Unites States is illegal now... but is all around us and has affected my life regardless of whether Brown vs. Board of Ed led to desegregation. We as a people have a long way to go before we can be desegregated in housing, employment and education. Diversity is supposed to be important but our society is still segregated. Will this ever change within future generations?

Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route- By Jeannie Oakes

Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route is about...

• Tracking



• Education



• Differences



• Low ability classes



• High ability classes



• Teaching methods



• Changes



• Achievement



• Lack of achievement

Arguement

Jeannie Oaks argues that tracking leads to differences in learning experiences that students have at schools and tracking benefits high ability students but does not benefit others. Alternative strategies are also offered even though it wouldn't be easy to implement.

Evidence

1. "High ability English classes were more likely to be taught classic and modern literature, provided instruction in expository writing and library research, and expected to learn voacabulary that would eventually boost their scores on college exams"(178).

VS.

"Low ability classes were likely to have little contact with the knowledge skills that would allow them to make it into high classes or to successful if they go there"(178).

2." In low ability classes. for example, teachers seem to be less encouraging and more punitive, placing more emphasis on discipline and behavior and less on academic learning. Compared to teachers in high ability classes, they seem to be more concerned about getting students to follow directions, be on time, and sit quietly"(179).

3. " The quality of classes for average students usually falls somewhere between the high and low class extremes"(179).

Points to share/ Questions or Comments

This article is very intresting. As I read this article I thought about honor classes as high ability classes. I also thoughr about regular classes as low ability classes, especially in public schools. It is very intresting to know how tracking affects students. Another comparison I made was Public schools vs. Private schools because since children are paying for their education in private schools, they may benefit as a high ability school while public schools may be more focused on state wide exams and be considered a low ability school.

Teaching to Change the World- Jeannie Oakes & Martin Lipton

Teaching to Change the World is about...

ideologies

Power

Myths

Privilege

Advantages

Disadvantages

Poverty

Economic conditions

Social condition

Scientific management

Opportunities

Segregation

Schools

Manufacturing

Argument

Oakes and Lipton argues that myths of merit, competition, progress and scientific efficiency characterizes American culture and schools which prevents schools and society from democratic possibilities.

Evidence

1. " Students who have the resources,opportunities and connectione that come with the priveldge,the more ambitious and hardworking may well go farther than those who simply do okay in school" (19).

2. "Americans belief that sucess in school (and life) follows from ability and aspirations masks the reality that schooling, within the broad social structure, favors children from priveldge families"(19).

These quotes show how myth of merit and progress charecterize American schools by preventing social quality. Priveldge is a major factor to preventing social equality in schools.

3. "[...] The "decline" in school achievment and the decline in the national economic preminence- [...] caused by an emphasis on equity issues such as desegragation and compensary education. Schools were told that they must find ways for their test scores to improve students achievements[...] but programs designed to help them do that were cut back"(27).

Points to share/ Questions or Comments

This article was intresting but not was intrestin as the other articles we've read in class. According to Oaks and Lipton family background seemed to determine how well students do at school. In some ways I agree with this statement while in some ways I do not. My family does not come from a wealthy family and like some families my family has been through financial issues. Due to my family situations, I've always wanted more for my life and never wanted to be in the same financial situation my entire life. In my case, my family background did determine how well I did in high school and how far I wanted to go with my education, which is attending college.But this isn't the case for EVERY student. A family canbe wealthy...full of doctors and lawyers but have a child who does not want to go beyond high school. Or a student can be from a poor family and never even complete high school or even go beyond grad school. I believe a students family has an influence on their education but the family background does not necessarily determine how well they do in school.

Beauty and the Beast/ What it Feels Like for a Girl- October 18, 2007

I enjoy this class, I truly do. I teaches me so m uch about myself and those around me. Watching Beauty and the Beast after reading Christenin's article, opened up my eyes alot more. I now realize the importance of informing children about things seen in cartoons and in media in general. Everything within the media and cartoons provide a message, even if it does not intend to on purpose. In Beauty and the Beast I realized that all the charecters were white and none were of color. Why is that? The closest thing to color was sheeps, who had brown faces and white body. In the scene with the sheeps, the owner was chasing them so he can try to retain them. Beauty was highly valued in the film, which does not always give a good message to little girls. "What it Feels Like for a Girl" is a very intresting video. Men were seen as devils and everything Madonna did was against men. I found this video intresting because women are valued in this video and white man aren't. The message in the video...I'm really not sure. I think Madonna is not conforming to society's expectations by going against men especially when men are still cosidered superior to women. Which can be a mjor reason why the video was played only once.

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us- Christensen

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us is about...

• Racism


• Sexism


• Stereotypes


• Power


• Secret Education


• Self image


• Media


• Roles


• Education


• Movies


• Cartoons


• Children's books


• Manipulation

Arguement

Linda Christensen argues that sterotypes are formed through children's books,cartoons and movies which shape the way children act, live and dream; because of the portrayal of inequality and hiearchy.

Evidence

1."Although these stories are suppposed to merely entertain us, they constantly give us a secret education. We are not only taught certain styles of violence, the latest fashions and sex roles by TV, movies, magazines and comic strips; we are taught how to succeed, how to love, how to buy, how to conquer, how to forget the past and suppress the future. We are taught, more than anything else, how not to rebel"(128).

This quotate is significant because it shows how children and adults are affected by the media and books. The media and books provide us with a "secret education" according to Dorfman, that leaves us with message everytime we look at a book, advertisement, magazine and etc.

2. " Women's roles in fairy tales disort reality- from Jessica Rabit's six mile strut in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? to Tinker Bell's obsessive vanity in Peter Pan. These seemingly innocent stories teach us to look for our faults. As Tinker Bell inspects her tiny body in a mirror only to find that he minute hips are simply too huge, she shows us how to turn the mirror into an enemy...And this is a scenario is repeated by girls in locker rooms all over the word"(136).

3. "Because we can never look like Cinderella, we begin to hate ourselves. The Barbie syndrome starts as we begin a lifelong search for the perfect body. Crash diets, fat phobias and an obsession with the materialistic become commonplace" (136)

These quotations are significant because it shows how cartoons and the media negatively affects how women see themselves and how woman view beauty according to what is seen on TV, media and even cartoons.

Points to share/ Comments/ Questions

I never really thought about how cartoons affect children. I always saw cartoons as a form of entertainment. But now that I think about it, I realized that I've never seen a black woman play a lead role in a cartoon/ fairy tale. The only lead role where I saw a black woman play was in Cinderella starring Brandy. I was young when I first saw it and it was a big deal! I loved watching the film because Brandy was black and she "looked like me." Not like all the other fairy tales where the lead role is a white women like Snow White, Rapunzal, Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and all the other cartoons. WOW. Never realized that until now... The media always presents a message through its products. I can not lie, I have fallen in the media's trap... buying things I liked and I am the biggest Nike fan. I would buy the latest Nike because fashion is a big deal! But now when I go home, I look forward to watching cartoons with my little brother. I look forward to critiquing and analyzing these cartoons... Its not that I don't believe in what Christensen has said... but I need to see if the sterotypes and racism experienced in this article can still be seen in today's cartoons. Like Dora the Explorer, Spongebob Squarepants, and the Fairly Odd Parents( I know these because my brother watches it.)