Trisha Rose.
1. "Hip hop is just one moment of long African American history, it is a sign of enormous creativity and hope."
When I heard this quote, I immediately thought of a class I took last semester, Engl207. We watched a program on African American impact of the arts. I thought of things like jazz, poetry, and art. And I believe this quote is most definitely true. African Americans have influenced many different forms of entertainment that we don't notice today.
2. "Gangster, Pimp and Hoe trinity are the images that take over commercial hip hop from the mid 90s, there's a market for it."
This is most definitely true, when hip hop is portrayed on tv, or in the media, almost all the time there is at least one of these images. On tv, when there are music videos the artist is in there with a gaggle of girls and it basically shows their "party lifestyle". Hip hop has a certain image, and it is very much stereotyped.
3. "Vulnerability is the biggest Achilles Heel".
This is something that is always talked about in different hip hop songs, the majority of the songs are flaunting the lifestyle they live, how much money they have and what kind of girl they have. To show that they have a weak spot, is unacceptable and I can't think of a single song where the "gangster or pimp" is shown weak.
This was an interesting video, it is something that you don't see everyday. I feel that hip hop isn't analyzed way too often so when we do get to see/hear something about it it is very interesting. I think that most of what Tricia Rose said was true, and it made me very aware of the things I hadn't noticed before. i.e. the holy trinity.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
My 5th Visit
Well today started out pretty good, except the fact that I was late again. I couldn't find my umbrella anywhere, its such a bummer because it was so nice out last week, but anyway..other than that my morning went well.
We met someone new today, her name was Ms. Pretty, she was on maternity leave and just recently came back to school. She is the person in charge of the VIPs program at the school I tutor at, and Ms. Dalomba was filling in for her. She introduced herself and let us know how to get in contact with her. She seemed very nice, and for someone who just had a baby, she looked amazing. But she let us know that other than the sight words and the poem, we were allowed to play games as well. This was very exciting news, because my kids always get bored of the sight word game and the poem very fast. Usually, they are able to finish it within 15-20 minutes, and I don't want to waste the remaining time with just idle talk so we end up playing the sight word game again. With the addition of a new game, I thought it'd keep their attention more and gain more excitment.
After I got all my materials ready, and got myself situated, I went to meet the kids. Cindy and Tom were both very excited to see me, with my absense the week before they told me they missed me but were glad they got to play on the computers while I was away. I told them that I had a new game to share with them and they were excited, but I said we would only play it if they were good, and got through the rest of the materials for the day. Sophia was running late again (she has gym before she meets with us, which makes her late) so we started the sight word game with out her.
We got through the sight word game relatively fast, surprisingly both Tom and Cindy were paying attention and were making sentences quickly. After about 5 minutes we were done and moved on to the poem. The poem I picked was "Winter Snow" they both took turns reading the lines then I made them point out a few of the words that rhymed, and some words that had the same beginning and ending sound.
Sophia still hadn't showed up by the time we finished the poem, so I started to explain the rules of the game without her. We were playing "picture dominos" Each piece of paper had two pictures on it, each with a different sounding word (i.e. cat and piano, dog and moon). Each of the kids got 6 papers (dominos) there were enough so that only one domino was left to start the game. After I started to distribute the dominos Sophia joined the group so I briefy told her what I was doing. After I passed out all the dominos (I was also playing) I told them that the object of the game was very similar to the real game of dominos. We had to match up the pictures with other pictures that had the same beginning sounds (i.e. cat and car, dog and doll). The kids did very well, I was surprised that everyone didn't fight against me while playing this game, usually they are constantly asking me to go to the bathroom, to get drinks, and just to join their friends in playing different games.
About three quarters of the way through the game, the dominos were starting to not have matching pairs, so we had to start a mini domino game to the side. We played this game for the rest of the time session, and we finished just in time. I was glad that I had a new game to offer the kids, after all of the sight words they had to do I think they deserved it. Although I noticed that the kids were being alot more easy to deal with, I found that I missed it when they were sort of all excited and jumpy. I asked them if they were feeling well, and they all stated that they were just tired, so hopefully they will be back to their normal selves next week.
I didn't give them any feathers today because everyone seemed to be in a foul mood. They did listen to me, but they kind of seemed reluctant to talk to me. I would have to ask a question several times before I got an answer, and the kids just seemed to not care much about the activities. I wanted to give them feathers, but I was still upset with myself for two weeks ago when I gave Cindy a feather when she didn't deserve it. I held out on this one and kept telling myself that they will get feathers when they truly deserve it. Oh and I forgot to mention, the school was having a themed day where students could dress up in their favorite characters, and Sophia was dressed as Tinker bell! It was about the cutest thing I had ever seen and made me miss my elementary school days. But anyway, after I walked the kids back to class, I went to the VIPs classroom to fill out paperwork.
I made note of the game that I played with the kids today, and filled out all the other paperwork, then put away the materials that I used for the session. After that I made my way to RIC.
We met someone new today, her name was Ms. Pretty, she was on maternity leave and just recently came back to school. She is the person in charge of the VIPs program at the school I tutor at, and Ms. Dalomba was filling in for her. She introduced herself and let us know how to get in contact with her. She seemed very nice, and for someone who just had a baby, she looked amazing. But she let us know that other than the sight words and the poem, we were allowed to play games as well. This was very exciting news, because my kids always get bored of the sight word game and the poem very fast. Usually, they are able to finish it within 15-20 minutes, and I don't want to waste the remaining time with just idle talk so we end up playing the sight word game again. With the addition of a new game, I thought it'd keep their attention more and gain more excitment.
After I got all my materials ready, and got myself situated, I went to meet the kids. Cindy and Tom were both very excited to see me, with my absense the week before they told me they missed me but were glad they got to play on the computers while I was away. I told them that I had a new game to share with them and they were excited, but I said we would only play it if they were good, and got through the rest of the materials for the day. Sophia was running late again (she has gym before she meets with us, which makes her late) so we started the sight word game with out her.
We got through the sight word game relatively fast, surprisingly both Tom and Cindy were paying attention and were making sentences quickly. After about 5 minutes we were done and moved on to the poem. The poem I picked was "Winter Snow" they both took turns reading the lines then I made them point out a few of the words that rhymed, and some words that had the same beginning and ending sound.
Sophia still hadn't showed up by the time we finished the poem, so I started to explain the rules of the game without her. We were playing "picture dominos" Each piece of paper had two pictures on it, each with a different sounding word (i.e. cat and piano, dog and moon). Each of the kids got 6 papers (dominos) there were enough so that only one domino was left to start the game. After I started to distribute the dominos Sophia joined the group so I briefy told her what I was doing. After I passed out all the dominos (I was also playing) I told them that the object of the game was very similar to the real game of dominos. We had to match up the pictures with other pictures that had the same beginning sounds (i.e. cat and car, dog and doll). The kids did very well, I was surprised that everyone didn't fight against me while playing this game, usually they are constantly asking me to go to the bathroom, to get drinks, and just to join their friends in playing different games.
About three quarters of the way through the game, the dominos were starting to not have matching pairs, so we had to start a mini domino game to the side. We played this game for the rest of the time session, and we finished just in time. I was glad that I had a new game to offer the kids, after all of the sight words they had to do I think they deserved it. Although I noticed that the kids were being alot more easy to deal with, I found that I missed it when they were sort of all excited and jumpy. I asked them if they were feeling well, and they all stated that they were just tired, so hopefully they will be back to their normal selves next week.
I didn't give them any feathers today because everyone seemed to be in a foul mood. They did listen to me, but they kind of seemed reluctant to talk to me. I would have to ask a question several times before I got an answer, and the kids just seemed to not care much about the activities. I wanted to give them feathers, but I was still upset with myself for two weeks ago when I gave Cindy a feather when she didn't deserve it. I held out on this one and kept telling myself that they will get feathers when they truly deserve it. Oh and I forgot to mention, the school was having a themed day where students could dress up in their favorite characters, and Sophia was dressed as Tinker bell! It was about the cutest thing I had ever seen and made me miss my elementary school days. But anyway, after I walked the kids back to class, I went to the VIPs classroom to fill out paperwork.
I made note of the game that I played with the kids today, and filled out all the other paperwork, then put away the materials that I used for the session. After that I made my way to RIC.
Spring Break
Last week was spring break, so I didn't meet with my kids. I'll have to make up that meeting.
Talking Points
In the Service of What?
By: Kahne and Westheimer
1. "His high school seniors were not asked to articulate an understanding of the conditions and contexts that might have contributed to the loss of a family's home or to a pregnant mother's decision to turn to crack cocaine." (p.3)
Here, it shows that while Mr. Johnson's ideas were clear, he did require his students to get to know the people they were caring for. The students were able to feel good about themselves for helping out the community, but they didn't "understand" the point of it. They did not see how the people they were helping ending up that way, so they missed "the big picture.".
2. "Ms. Adams' students, by contrast, began their work with a systematic and critical analysis of the causes of homelessness and of the strategies employed to prevent it." (p.3)
Here, Ms. Adams' methods were more effective. The students came to an understanding as to why there were homeless people, how they got there, and as a result can probably draw conclusions to the real world and find ways to minimize the numbers of homeless people. By doing research and having an understanding for the people they are caring for, the students will feel more fulfilled and understand why they are going to such great lengths to make a difference in the community.
3. "The distance between the one caring adn the one cared for diminishes. Unfortunately, in many service activities, students view those they serve as clients rather than as a resource." (p.7)
This further emphasizes my point that although the students are doing good deeds to help the community, they might not fully understand why they are doing so. If the students arent making an effort to get to know the people they are helping, they won't get the meaning behind the project. They are helping the community yes, but what will the student gain in return? If they get to know the people in need, they can make life long friends, and even get so attached to the project that they will find ways to prevent and or help the community in the long run.
In conclusion, I found that the reading was a very interesting one. I think that students being required to participate in service learning projects in high school would be a good thing, but if the students don't get to know the community they are trying to help, then it will be in vain. The students should try to connect with the people they are helping as much as possible. Students will develop self esteem, higher order thinking, they will make use of multiple abilities and it will be an authentic learning experience.They will experience the excitement and joy of learning while using the community as a classroom.
By: Kahne and Westheimer
1. "His high school seniors were not asked to articulate an understanding of the conditions and contexts that might have contributed to the loss of a family's home or to a pregnant mother's decision to turn to crack cocaine." (p.3)
Here, it shows that while Mr. Johnson's ideas were clear, he did require his students to get to know the people they were caring for. The students were able to feel good about themselves for helping out the community, but they didn't "understand" the point of it. They did not see how the people they were helping ending up that way, so they missed "the big picture.".
2. "Ms. Adams' students, by contrast, began their work with a systematic and critical analysis of the causes of homelessness and of the strategies employed to prevent it." (p.3)
Here, Ms. Adams' methods were more effective. The students came to an understanding as to why there were homeless people, how they got there, and as a result can probably draw conclusions to the real world and find ways to minimize the numbers of homeless people. By doing research and having an understanding for the people they are caring for, the students will feel more fulfilled and understand why they are going to such great lengths to make a difference in the community.
3. "The distance between the one caring adn the one cared for diminishes. Unfortunately, in many service activities, students view those they serve as clients rather than as a resource." (p.7)
This further emphasizes my point that although the students are doing good deeds to help the community, they might not fully understand why they are doing so. If the students arent making an effort to get to know the people they are helping, they won't get the meaning behind the project. They are helping the community yes, but what will the student gain in return? If they get to know the people in need, they can make life long friends, and even get so attached to the project that they will find ways to prevent and or help the community in the long run.
In conclusion, I found that the reading was a very interesting one. I think that students being required to participate in service learning projects in high school would be a good thing, but if the students don't get to know the community they are trying to help, then it will be in vain. The students should try to connect with the people they are helping as much as possible. Students will develop self esteem, higher order thinking, they will make use of multiple abilities and it will be an authentic learning experience.They will experience the excitement and joy of learning while using the community as a classroom.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
My 4th Visit
I don't know why, but for some reason I thought that I was supposed to be at the school at 9 am instead of the actual 9:30, so I ended up getting there super early. I waited in the parking lot from about 8:50 until 9:20. But anyway, apart from that, the day went really well.
I went to the meeting room, gathered my materials, and reminded the advisor that I wouldn't be in the next week. I picked the poem "I Am Me" because it seemed like something the kids would enjoy, but naturally, being so forgetful, I forgot the poem, I always forgot the chart that I'm supposed to use to record which sight words I'd be using with the kids. When I got to the classroom I was greeted by Tom and Cindy (my third child was still m.i.a.) so I started without the third person. First we talked about our weekends, I asked them how they were doing and they were really excited over the fact that the principal said they were able to go outside today, since it was so nice out.
I told them that I forgot the poem, and they were somewhat upset, but I told them that I would give them two feathers if they behaved. We started with the sightword game, since I forgot the chart, I had to manually draw one out with my pen. I was surprised with how well they were behaving. About ten minutes after our session started, we were greeted by the third student, (Sophia). She was very shy at first, but I introduced myself and she seemed to know the other two already. I explained what we were doing and she fell into our "sight word game" pretty naturally. After we filled up the entire sheet with our sight words, I used the sight words in a different way. I placed the cards face down on the table and each student took turns picking different cards and making sentences with them. I think the kids like this method better than using the actual chart, because they are able to use all of the sight words and aren't restricted to the usual six. (I made note of that and will probably be using this method from now on).
After this, I picked up all the cards and mixed them up and then showed them to the students one by one, they had to read the cards aloud to me simotaneously. After we finished this (they were really tired of working on sight words) I gave them a break because there was only five minutes left of the session and I think they deserved one. I gave both Tom and Sophia a feather, but when I asked Cindy if she thought she deserved one she wouldn't answer me. I think Cindy knew that she couldn't answer honestly that she thought she deserved one, throughout the session she was getting out of her seat, at one point the teacher had to come over and tell her to behave. I kept asking her what was wrong because she kept her head down on the desk and was ignoring me whenever I tried to talk to her. She had tears in her eyes but didn't want to speak to anyone.
When it was time to go, I took them back outside. I brought her to one side and asked her what was bothering her again and she said that she wanted a feather. I told her that I didn't think what she did to me was very nice, if I asked her a question she should answer. She started crying at this point, and even though I tried to be stern with her I couldn't hold my reserve and ending up giving her a feather as well. Looking back on it now, I realize that I should have stuck to my gut feeling and not have given her a feather, but I'll try to work on that. (I'm kind of a softie.)
After I walked the kids back to their classrooms, I went back to the VIPs room to fill out documentation. I told my advisor about Cindy's behavior and she said she would most likely talk to her the next day, to repremaind her for her actions. Since spring break is next week, I also reminded her that I wouldn't be there as I would be going to CA. (Soooo excited!) and that she would make note of it. I guess that's it for now, looking forward to my next meeting with the kids.
I went to the meeting room, gathered my materials, and reminded the advisor that I wouldn't be in the next week. I picked the poem "I Am Me" because it seemed like something the kids would enjoy, but naturally, being so forgetful, I forgot the poem, I always forgot the chart that I'm supposed to use to record which sight words I'd be using with the kids. When I got to the classroom I was greeted by Tom and Cindy (my third child was still m.i.a.) so I started without the third person. First we talked about our weekends, I asked them how they were doing and they were really excited over the fact that the principal said they were able to go outside today, since it was so nice out.
I told them that I forgot the poem, and they were somewhat upset, but I told them that I would give them two feathers if they behaved. We started with the sightword game, since I forgot the chart, I had to manually draw one out with my pen. I was surprised with how well they were behaving. About ten minutes after our session started, we were greeted by the third student, (Sophia). She was very shy at first, but I introduced myself and she seemed to know the other two already. I explained what we were doing and she fell into our "sight word game" pretty naturally. After we filled up the entire sheet with our sight words, I used the sight words in a different way. I placed the cards face down on the table and each student took turns picking different cards and making sentences with them. I think the kids like this method better than using the actual chart, because they are able to use all of the sight words and aren't restricted to the usual six. (I made note of that and will probably be using this method from now on).
After this, I picked up all the cards and mixed them up and then showed them to the students one by one, they had to read the cards aloud to me simotaneously. After we finished this (they were really tired of working on sight words) I gave them a break because there was only five minutes left of the session and I think they deserved one. I gave both Tom and Sophia a feather, but when I asked Cindy if she thought she deserved one she wouldn't answer me. I think Cindy knew that she couldn't answer honestly that she thought she deserved one, throughout the session she was getting out of her seat, at one point the teacher had to come over and tell her to behave. I kept asking her what was wrong because she kept her head down on the desk and was ignoring me whenever I tried to talk to her. She had tears in her eyes but didn't want to speak to anyone.
When it was time to go, I took them back outside. I brought her to one side and asked her what was bothering her again and she said that she wanted a feather. I told her that I didn't think what she did to me was very nice, if I asked her a question she should answer. She started crying at this point, and even though I tried to be stern with her I couldn't hold my reserve and ending up giving her a feather as well. Looking back on it now, I realize that I should have stuck to my gut feeling and not have given her a feather, but I'll try to work on that. (I'm kind of a softie.)
After I walked the kids back to their classrooms, I went back to the VIPs room to fill out documentation. I told my advisor about Cindy's behavior and she said she would most likely talk to her the next day, to repremaind her for her actions. Since spring break is next week, I also reminded her that I wouldn't be there as I would be going to CA. (Soooo excited!) and that she would make note of it. I guess that's it for now, looking forward to my next meeting with the kids.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Talking Point #4 Christensen
1. "When we read children's books, we aren't just reading cute little stories, we are discovering the tools with which a young society is manipulated." pg. 1.
I picked this quote, because when I read it, it opened my eyes and showed me how true it was. These books are how children view the rest of the world, they get their first impressions of the different races, sexes, and cultures.
2. "Many students don't want to believe that they have been manipulated by children's media or advertising. No one wants to admit that they've been "handled" by the media. They assure me that they make their own choices and the media has no power over them - as they sit with fubu, nike, timberlands, or whatever the latest fashion rage might be." pg. 2
I chose this quote because it is something that I can connect with. I too, am guilty of feeling a sort of resentment when analyzing Disney movies/characters. I don't want to believe that my favorite childhood memories could be anything but for pure enjoyment. When reading about how Disney movies and shows portray people in a bad way, I will do anything to keep it from my mind. But it doesn't hide the fact that it is true, and that these underlying messages do exist.
3. "For some the lesson doesn't end in the classroom. Many who watched cartoons before we start our study say they can no longer enjoy them. Now instead of seeing a bunch of ducks in clothes, they see the racism, sexism, and violence that swim under the surface of these stories." pg. 5
This quote is something that I found interesting, because again I can relate to it. I feel like being an English major, I also analyze different issues such as race, gender, psychological well being, and violence in texts. This doesn't just stop in the classroom, but is somethign that I carry with me when I am trying to enjoy other texts that I read for pleasure. I am constantly analyzing, and decoding what certain symbols and gestures might mean.
I found this essay both interesting and heartbreaking to read. As stated earlier, I love my Disney movies, and I don't want to come to terms that they all have underlying content that children shouldn't be exposed to. But I did find the essay informative, and because I take a children's lit class, I am forced to look at different children's books, movies, and shows and decipher what they are teaching younger children. Although I will always hold Disney movies close to me, I do realize now that they may unintentionally give children the wrong message.
I picked this quote, because when I read it, it opened my eyes and showed me how true it was. These books are how children view the rest of the world, they get their first impressions of the different races, sexes, and cultures.
2. "Many students don't want to believe that they have been manipulated by children's media or advertising. No one wants to admit that they've been "handled" by the media. They assure me that they make their own choices and the media has no power over them - as they sit with fubu, nike, timberlands, or whatever the latest fashion rage might be." pg. 2
I chose this quote because it is something that I can connect with. I too, am guilty of feeling a sort of resentment when analyzing Disney movies/characters. I don't want to believe that my favorite childhood memories could be anything but for pure enjoyment. When reading about how Disney movies and shows portray people in a bad way, I will do anything to keep it from my mind. But it doesn't hide the fact that it is true, and that these underlying messages do exist.
3. "For some the lesson doesn't end in the classroom. Many who watched cartoons before we start our study say they can no longer enjoy them. Now instead of seeing a bunch of ducks in clothes, they see the racism, sexism, and violence that swim under the surface of these stories." pg. 5
This quote is something that I found interesting, because again I can relate to it. I feel like being an English major, I also analyze different issues such as race, gender, psychological well being, and violence in texts. This doesn't just stop in the classroom, but is somethign that I carry with me when I am trying to enjoy other texts that I read for pleasure. I am constantly analyzing, and decoding what certain symbols and gestures might mean.
I found this essay both interesting and heartbreaking to read. As stated earlier, I love my Disney movies, and I don't want to come to terms that they all have underlying content that children shouldn't be exposed to. But I did find the essay informative, and because I take a children's lit class, I am forced to look at different children's books, movies, and shows and decipher what they are teaching younger children. Although I will always hold Disney movies close to me, I do realize now that they may unintentionally give children the wrong message.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
3rd Visit
I was actually 15 minutes early today for my third visit! I had a bit of a panic in the morning however because my usual parking spot (on the side of the street) was occupied by another car, so I had to park in the school's parking lot. This scared me because the sign stated "School Personnel Only" I don't know if I am considered "school personnel" but I had no other choice but to park there because there were literally no other parking spots available.
Anyway, on my way to the school I heard on the radio that there had been a few bad car accidents on different highways, as I was glad that I wasn't caught in traffic, I quickly realized that most of my fellow volunteers were because when I reached the school there was only one other person there. We waited until about 9:35 before I received a text message from Kaitlyn telling me that she'd be a little late due to the traffic. The other volunteer and I went ahead to our designated "reading buddies" room and got ourselves situated. I picked out a new poem for the kids to work on this week which was "The itsy bitsy spider" (the kids loved it!) and informed the advisor I wouldn't be in the week of spring break, she told me to email her to remind her about it later. She also told me that the young boy that had arrived late to my group last week, was placed in a different group and I was now assigned a new girl, whose name was Jessica. Soon, the other volunteers were slowly trickling into the room and they too prepared their materials.
When I got to the classroom that I worked in last week, the usual teacher was no where to be found. In her place was another woman, I'm guessing she was the assistant teacher, but anyway, the other volunteer and I were waiting for about 5 minutes before we approached her and asked where our children were. She informed us that the children had to migrate to the classroom we were because they were in room 14. She said that it would take a few minutes and to just get our materials ready for they would be in shortly. I went to the table that I was at last week and picked out my six words for the "sight word game" when I was soon greeted by Tom and Cindy. They both ran up to me and gave me hugs (which made me break out into a huge smile). We sat down and I asked them how they were doing before we started our game. (Jessica was nowhere to be found). I told them that I brought feathers with me today and judging by how they acted the rest of the session, they must have really wanted those feathers because the school store would be open that Friday. They did very well on the sight word game, we flew on by, I only had to stop once to help Cindy make a sentece with the word "and". But other than that we had little interruptions. After our sightword game, the teacher of the classroom came in from whereever she had been and seemed like she was in a bad mood. She yelled at the children to get their things in order and told them to be quiet. This kind of caught me by surprise, because I wasn't expecting the teacher let alone expecting her to come in and yell at the students. I felt really bad for them, but it was not my place to say or do anything on their behalf.
After the sight word game we moved on to the poem, which again they loved. Cindy had problems with some of the words in the poem so I helped her get through it then I asked them some of the questions that we had on the back of the poem. We finished fairly quickly and I had enough time to go over a few of the identification exercises with them, and to my surprise, they loved this too! I think they got excited over the fact that we would be working on something else, although they didn't get the right answers right away, they worked hard with them. I think I will try to integrate these exercises more into the program because they needed some work on the I.D.'s and they seemed to have fun with them too.
After this, we still had about 3 minutes left, so I let them pick any of the sight words they wanted and make a sentence out of them. It was time to wrap up, so I asked them if they thought they deserved a feather. They both thought that they deserved them, and so did I so I gave them each one feather, this made them very happy especially with the school store opening on Friday. The kids begged me to come in the next day even though I've explained to them many times that I would only be able to see them on Tuesdays. Then they rushed back to their rooms in time for snacks.
When I got back to the classroom I stared my documentation process and wrote that they both improved their behavior alot. I marked that I gave them each a feather and told them that if they were good enough next week, I'd maybe give them two. When everyone else got back, we exchanged stories, and talked about how are kids were different/similar. I think that something that we all agreed on would be that the kids had lots of energy and it took a lot of work to keep them focused and entertained, usually the kids enjoyed the activities but got bored of them pretty fast.
After the proper documentation, I signed out at the main office before making my way back to RIC.
Anyway, on my way to the school I heard on the radio that there had been a few bad car accidents on different highways, as I was glad that I wasn't caught in traffic, I quickly realized that most of my fellow volunteers were because when I reached the school there was only one other person there. We waited until about 9:35 before I received a text message from Kaitlyn telling me that she'd be a little late due to the traffic. The other volunteer and I went ahead to our designated "reading buddies" room and got ourselves situated. I picked out a new poem for the kids to work on this week which was "The itsy bitsy spider" (the kids loved it!) and informed the advisor I wouldn't be in the week of spring break, she told me to email her to remind her about it later. She also told me that the young boy that had arrived late to my group last week, was placed in a different group and I was now assigned a new girl, whose name was Jessica. Soon, the other volunteers were slowly trickling into the room and they too prepared their materials.
When I got to the classroom that I worked in last week, the usual teacher was no where to be found. In her place was another woman, I'm guessing she was the assistant teacher, but anyway, the other volunteer and I were waiting for about 5 minutes before we approached her and asked where our children were. She informed us that the children had to migrate to the classroom we were because they were in room 14. She said that it would take a few minutes and to just get our materials ready for they would be in shortly. I went to the table that I was at last week and picked out my six words for the "sight word game" when I was soon greeted by Tom and Cindy. They both ran up to me and gave me hugs (which made me break out into a huge smile). We sat down and I asked them how they were doing before we started our game. (Jessica was nowhere to be found). I told them that I brought feathers with me today and judging by how they acted the rest of the session, they must have really wanted those feathers because the school store would be open that Friday. They did very well on the sight word game, we flew on by, I only had to stop once to help Cindy make a sentece with the word "and". But other than that we had little interruptions. After our sightword game, the teacher of the classroom came in from whereever she had been and seemed like she was in a bad mood. She yelled at the children to get their things in order and told them to be quiet. This kind of caught me by surprise, because I wasn't expecting the teacher let alone expecting her to come in and yell at the students. I felt really bad for them, but it was not my place to say or do anything on their behalf.
After the sight word game we moved on to the poem, which again they loved. Cindy had problems with some of the words in the poem so I helped her get through it then I asked them some of the questions that we had on the back of the poem. We finished fairly quickly and I had enough time to go over a few of the identification exercises with them, and to my surprise, they loved this too! I think they got excited over the fact that we would be working on something else, although they didn't get the right answers right away, they worked hard with them. I think I will try to integrate these exercises more into the program because they needed some work on the I.D.'s and they seemed to have fun with them too.
After this, we still had about 3 minutes left, so I let them pick any of the sight words they wanted and make a sentence out of them. It was time to wrap up, so I asked them if they thought they deserved a feather. They both thought that they deserved them, and so did I so I gave them each one feather, this made them very happy especially with the school store opening on Friday. The kids begged me to come in the next day even though I've explained to them many times that I would only be able to see them on Tuesdays. Then they rushed back to their rooms in time for snacks.
When I got back to the classroom I stared my documentation process and wrote that they both improved their behavior alot. I marked that I gave them each a feather and told them that if they were good enough next week, I'd maybe give them two. When everyone else got back, we exchanged stories, and talked about how are kids were different/similar. I think that something that we all agreed on would be that the kids had lots of energy and it took a lot of work to keep them focused and entertained, usually the kids enjoyed the activities but got bored of them pretty fast.
After the proper documentation, I signed out at the main office before making my way back to RIC.
2nd Visit
Well to my surprise, I was actually late again. I thought that because I knew the way to the school I'd be able to leave at a later time and arrive to the school as scheduled, but I hit traffic, what a disaster that was. But anyways, when I got to the school everyone was already there waiting for our advisor to pick us up. After waiting for about 10 minutes we realized that she wasn't going to pick us up, and that we had to meet her at the room. When we got there she explained to us what we should do every morning (since we hadn't met the week before due to winter break the elementary schools had). She gave us our assigned groups and told us which room we would be meeting in. She showed us what and where to document things, and then spoke to us individually about what we should be working on when we meet with our students. I would be working specifically on "sight words" and working on a different poem with them each week.
Our advisor showed us how to play the sight word game, which consisted of a game board with six columns going across and five columns going down. Before the game the teacher (I) will pick six different sight words and write them into the empty slots on the bottom row. Each row is labeled 1,2,3,4,5, or 6. The student will take turns rowing the dice and depending on which number it lands on, the student will have to make a sentence with the sight word that is in the sixth column. When the student is done making a sentence, the teacher will write in the sight word in the slot above the word. The game ends when there is one entire column filled with the same sight word.
The poems that we would be working on were different every week. I looked into the poem folder and its contents were strikingly similar to the ones that I was used to working on in elementary schools. These poems consisted of Mary had a little lamb, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Humpty Dumpty, Winter Snow, and much more. On the back of these poems there were questions that the teacher could ask the students, some of the common questions that were there were: which sentence has the fewest amount of words, which has the longest amount of words, how many words have a double "L", and which words rhyme.
Our advisor then talked to me about "identification" where the students had to identify which word didn't belong with a group of other words. An example of this would be : cat, sat, bat, and sun. The word that wouldn't belong would be sun because the other words all have the ending sound of "at". She explained to me that I would be working on the same skills with them every week, so I'd first start with the "sight word game" then move onto the poem, and if time permitted it, would finish with the identification exercises. She also told me that since it was our first time meeting the students, that today should be laid back and that we should try to get to know our students as best we can.
I admit that I was a little nervous when I was to first meet the kids, I wanted them to like me and I was hoping that they wouldn't give me too much of a hard time. I was lucky enough to be placed in the same classroom as another girl from our volunteer group. She would be using the table next to mine, but was assigned three girls. I was assigned to one girl and two boys (one of which was missing so we got started without him) I got to know the kids, we exchanged names, I told them how to pronounce mine (which they had fun with because my name was so different), I asked them their interests and told them what I was there for.
After about 10 minutes of introductions, I started with my first lesson: the "sight word game". At first the kids were very excited about it, but soon after they tired of the game and begged me to move onto the poem. The students started to become very antsy, getting up to get a drink from the bublar and going to the bathroom. I feared that I had lost total control of the situation until I mentioned to them that if they behaved I would give them each a feather. This got them to quiet down a bit, but they were still moving around in the chairs and looking around the room. During the middle of our "sight word game" a student came and sat down at our table. I asked him if he was the boy that was supposed to be in my group but he didn't respond, I then asked the other two children in the group if he was the boy that was missing, but they said that he was not. I asked him one more time if he was in the right spot, if he was here for the "reading buddies" program but he sat mute. So I proceeded to play the sight word game without him and he just sat there (I later found out that this was the boy in question and felt extremely bad about it, but my advisor told me not to worry about it because he should have spoken up).
After the sight word game we moved on to the poem. The poem that I had with me was Humpty Dumpty, so we read the poem together. The young girl in my group (Cindy) seemed a bit lost when reading it, so I took some time and asked the boy (Tom) to not answer any questions that I asked her. I told her to read each sentence aloud, and helped her with the words that she was stuck on. After she had gotten through the whole poem, I asked them the questions that were placed on the back of the sheet. Before I knew it, time was up and I returned the kids to their classrooms. I didn't give them feathers, because even after I asked them to behave and to listen to me they wouldn't cooperate. So I told them that next week if they were well behaved I would give them each a feather.
When I got to the room, I filled out the proper documents. I wrote down what I worked on with them, along with some comments I had for each of the kids. I wrote that Cindy had a lot of energy and wouldn't sit still, she kept getting up to get a drink and wouldn't concentrate on the work. Tom was a bit better, he listened when I would repremand him but kept looking around the room for more "interesting" things to do.
After this, I signed out at the main office and made my way back to RIC.
Our advisor showed us how to play the sight word game, which consisted of a game board with six columns going across and five columns going down. Before the game the teacher (I) will pick six different sight words and write them into the empty slots on the bottom row. Each row is labeled 1,2,3,4,5, or 6. The student will take turns rowing the dice and depending on which number it lands on, the student will have to make a sentence with the sight word that is in the sixth column. When the student is done making a sentence, the teacher will write in the sight word in the slot above the word. The game ends when there is one entire column filled with the same sight word.
The poems that we would be working on were different every week. I looked into the poem folder and its contents were strikingly similar to the ones that I was used to working on in elementary schools. These poems consisted of Mary had a little lamb, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Humpty Dumpty, Winter Snow, and much more. On the back of these poems there were questions that the teacher could ask the students, some of the common questions that were there were: which sentence has the fewest amount of words, which has the longest amount of words, how many words have a double "L", and which words rhyme.
Our advisor then talked to me about "identification" where the students had to identify which word didn't belong with a group of other words. An example of this would be : cat, sat, bat, and sun. The word that wouldn't belong would be sun because the other words all have the ending sound of "at". She explained to me that I would be working on the same skills with them every week, so I'd first start with the "sight word game" then move onto the poem, and if time permitted it, would finish with the identification exercises. She also told me that since it was our first time meeting the students, that today should be laid back and that we should try to get to know our students as best we can.
I admit that I was a little nervous when I was to first meet the kids, I wanted them to like me and I was hoping that they wouldn't give me too much of a hard time. I was lucky enough to be placed in the same classroom as another girl from our volunteer group. She would be using the table next to mine, but was assigned three girls. I was assigned to one girl and two boys (one of which was missing so we got started without him) I got to know the kids, we exchanged names, I told them how to pronounce mine (which they had fun with because my name was so different), I asked them their interests and told them what I was there for.
After about 10 minutes of introductions, I started with my first lesson: the "sight word game". At first the kids were very excited about it, but soon after they tired of the game and begged me to move onto the poem. The students started to become very antsy, getting up to get a drink from the bublar and going to the bathroom. I feared that I had lost total control of the situation until I mentioned to them that if they behaved I would give them each a feather. This got them to quiet down a bit, but they were still moving around in the chairs and looking around the room. During the middle of our "sight word game" a student came and sat down at our table. I asked him if he was the boy that was supposed to be in my group but he didn't respond, I then asked the other two children in the group if he was the boy that was missing, but they said that he was not. I asked him one more time if he was in the right spot, if he was here for the "reading buddies" program but he sat mute. So I proceeded to play the sight word game without him and he just sat there (I later found out that this was the boy in question and felt extremely bad about it, but my advisor told me not to worry about it because he should have spoken up).
After the sight word game we moved on to the poem. The poem that I had with me was Humpty Dumpty, so we read the poem together. The young girl in my group (Cindy) seemed a bit lost when reading it, so I took some time and asked the boy (Tom) to not answer any questions that I asked her. I told her to read each sentence aloud, and helped her with the words that she was stuck on. After she had gotten through the whole poem, I asked them the questions that were placed on the back of the sheet. Before I knew it, time was up and I returned the kids to their classrooms. I didn't give them feathers, because even after I asked them to behave and to listen to me they wouldn't cooperate. So I told them that next week if they were well behaved I would give them each a feather.
When I got to the room, I filled out the proper documents. I wrote down what I worked on with them, along with some comments I had for each of the kids. I wrote that Cindy had a lot of energy and wouldn't sit still, she kept getting up to get a drink and wouldn't concentrate on the work. Tom was a bit better, he listened when I would repremand him but kept looking around the room for more "interesting" things to do.
After this, I signed out at the main office and made my way back to RIC.
Talking Point #3 (Carlson)
1. "Three techniques of normalization and "hence" marginalization have been of primary importance in this regard: (1) the erasure of gayness in the curriculum, (2) the "closeting" and "witch hunting" of gay teachers, and (3) verbal and physical intimidation of gay teachers and students."
I thought that this quote was important, because it is one of the basis's for the entire essay. I felt that Carlson built his argument around these three points, and I also felt that this quote was undeniabaly true. Right now, we are in a nationwide "homophobic" state, it is something that shames me to say but is nonetheless true. This must be changed indefinately, and Carlson makes some fantastic points as to why it should be.
2. "Among the best diagnostic procedures for identifying a homosexual, according to Waller, were "such personality traits as carriage, mannerisms, voice, speech, etc."
I thought this quote was absolutely ridiculous, but also very true. Often times we classify who is "gay" and who is not by the way the person carries him/herself. There is this phrase "gaydar" that came to mind when I read this quote, and while some of the gay population may carry themselves in a certain way, there are other gay members who don't coincide with the typical stereotypes.
3. "The official policy in most school districts is in fact identical to that of the U.S. military, namely : "Don't ask, don't tell."
I picked this quote, because before reading this topic I hadn't ever know of its existence. I knew that of all the social complexes of America, that the military would most likely be one of the most, if not the most, homophobic groups. This may be because of the stereotypical gay figure is one that is "feminine, flamboyant, a girly girl" and the military is known for its brute strength and "heroism". I found this rule to be absurd, and I think that this should also be abolished immediately.
I found this article to be extremely interesting, especially because I have many friends who are openly "gay" (both boys and girls). I feel that it is time for America to let go of its "homophobic" ways and to finally embrace and accept everyone for who they are. I feel that many years from now, people will look back and laugh at the way that we ostracize "gays", just as we look back and laugh now at the way our ancestors had captured and persecuted "witches". But if we are going to get to that point, America needs to start doing something now about this every growing problem.
I thought that this quote was important, because it is one of the basis's for the entire essay. I felt that Carlson built his argument around these three points, and I also felt that this quote was undeniabaly true. Right now, we are in a nationwide "homophobic" state, it is something that shames me to say but is nonetheless true. This must be changed indefinately, and Carlson makes some fantastic points as to why it should be.
2. "Among the best diagnostic procedures for identifying a homosexual, according to Waller, were "such personality traits as carriage, mannerisms, voice, speech, etc."
I thought this quote was absolutely ridiculous, but also very true. Often times we classify who is "gay" and who is not by the way the person carries him/herself. There is this phrase "gaydar" that came to mind when I read this quote, and while some of the gay population may carry themselves in a certain way, there are other gay members who don't coincide with the typical stereotypes.
3. "The official policy in most school districts is in fact identical to that of the U.S. military, namely : "Don't ask, don't tell."
I picked this quote, because before reading this topic I hadn't ever know of its existence. I knew that of all the social complexes of America, that the military would most likely be one of the most, if not the most, homophobic groups. This may be because of the stereotypical gay figure is one that is "feminine, flamboyant, a girly girl" and the military is known for its brute strength and "heroism". I found this rule to be absurd, and I think that this should also be abolished immediately.
I found this article to be extremely interesting, especially because I have many friends who are openly "gay" (both boys and girls). I feel that it is time for America to let go of its "homophobic" ways and to finally embrace and accept everyone for who they are. I feel that many years from now, people will look back and laugh at the way that we ostracize "gays", just as we look back and laugh now at the way our ancestors had captured and persecuted "witches". But if we are going to get to that point, America needs to start doing something now about this every growing problem.
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