Today was my ninth visit to the school and I was excited to go back because of the break the elementary schools had last week. When I entered the tutors room I was greeted by Ms. Pretty, she told us that most likely we weren't going to be meeting with our regular students but that we would be working with any students that the teacher in the classroom assigned us. I was saddened by this because I had grown close to my studnets, I also hadn't been able to give them a proper goodbye. But I feel like I will come across them again before I am finished with the program so that I can wish them luck and say goodbye to them.
When I went into the classroom that I am usually in, all the students were sitting on the carpet and the teacher was sitting in front of them. I was surprised by this because everytime I went into the classroom the students were usually doing their own thing. Some students would be using the computer some students would be playing on the carpet and some studetns would be reading or drawing at different tables. This was the first time that I happened upon the classroom and everyone was in one place, it was surprising and kind of nice at the same time.
The teacher was holding votes for "May Breakfast" which is something that came to my understanding that she did annually. She would bring different ingredients to the school and the children would help her prepare a breakfast that they would all eat. There were many different food options written on the board and the teacher was asking each child what their preference was. The item with the most votes would be the food that they would all prepare. She had different options for like : chocolate chip pancakes or blueberry, apple juice or orange juice, bacon or sausage, scrambbled eggs or sunny side up, and different kinds of muffins.
The voting process fascinated me and I even made a connection to Delpit's culture of power. The teacher was enforcing the rules about voting and priviledge. She said that everyone who was quiet and didn't should out and waited for their turns would be able to have a say in what they were going to eat (they would get a vote). But those students who didn't cooperate were sent to the corner of the room where they didnt' get a chance to vote and had to sit quietly while the rest of the students decided what they wanted to eat. I thought of Delpit because of rule number 4 which states: If you are not already a participant in the culture of power, being told explicitly the rules of that culture makes acquiring power easier. This is most definately true because those students who listened to the rules acquired the "power" by getting a chance to vote. Those students who didn't listen were sent to the corner and were denied the right to vote.
After the voting was done, the teacher gave me three students who already knew all of the sight words. My job was to play "candy land" with them. It had the same rules as the candy land game I mentioned in my previous posts. The children all sat down at a table where I then explained the rules of the game. These children were so much fun to have, they never fought, they took turns, and they all had a great time. Although I missed my old students, I was glad to have a change. We played the game only once because the voting took up a significant amount of our time and then they were sent back to do a different activity.
The voting took about 20 minutes and then I played the candy land game with them for about another 20 minutes before I realized I had to go. I think that it is a joy to realize you are having such a good time that you stay over your alloted time. I am glad that I got a chance to work with different students in the classroom and I look forward to who I will be working with next week.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Talking Points #10
Shor - "Education is Politics"
1. “People are naturally curious. They are born learners. Education can either develop or stifle their inclination to ask why and to learn. A curriculum that avoids questioning school and society is not, as is commonly supposed, politically neutral. It cuts off the students’ development as critical thinkers about their world. If the students task is to memorize rules and existing knowledge, without questioning the subject matter or learning process, their potential for critical thought and action will be restricted." (12)
I felt that this quote was very powerful. It was something that was very true and that we needed to be made aware of. If students are discouraged while pursuing their education it will naturally harm them and stifle their desire to want to learn more. Education is such a big part of someone's life and that is where they learn to grow as individuals. If they don't get the proper education or opportunities, they will be stuck in neutral.
2. “The teacher brings lesson plans, learning methods, personal experience, and academic knowledge to class but negotiates the curriculum with the students and begins with their language, themes, and understandings. To be democratic implies orienting subject matter to student culture – their interests, needs, speech and perceptions – while creating a negotiable openness in class where the students’ input jointly creates the learning process.” (16)
I feel that this quote is very reflective of what teachers should be doing. Although teachers may walk into a classroom knowing which lessons they plan to teach and how they want to go about doing so, the teacher must keep in mind they he/she must curve the teaching style/subject to what the students need. Teachers should also connect what they are teaching in the classroom to subject matters outside the classroom as well, the student should feel that the material they are learning are important and that it relates to them. If students feel connected to the material they are more likely to try harder when it comes to work. This will also create an open and receptive class, students won't be afraid to share their viewpoints and opinions with everyone.
3. "In school and society, the lack of meaningful participation alienates workers, teachers, and students. This alienation lowers their productivity in class and on the job. I think of this lowered productivity as a performance strike, an unorganized mass refusal to perform well, and informal and unacknowledged strike." (20)
I felt that this quote was relevant because it is something that is seen everyday but probably something that is overlooked. I feel that when students and adults feel that they belong, or have a group that they can connect with, they are more at ease and more prone to fulfill their obligations. People who feel that they are alone, are more likely to keep to themselves and not try their hardest when it comes to their responsibilities. They will more than likely feel like they don't need to or they won't see the point in it.
This reading was enjoyable for me because I made connections to alot of the quotes to the real world. The reading told me that teachers need to bend the way they teach and to consider the life style of students into what their lesson will be about. Teachers need to show students that they are willing to work with them so that both parties will be happy, and that having an open classroom is important so that students will be encouraged to share their opinions and views. When students participate in class, they will be more successful in their education, students and teachers should work together to make sure that everyone in the classroom is comfortable.
1. “People are naturally curious. They are born learners. Education can either develop or stifle their inclination to ask why and to learn. A curriculum that avoids questioning school and society is not, as is commonly supposed, politically neutral. It cuts off the students’ development as critical thinkers about their world. If the students task is to memorize rules and existing knowledge, without questioning the subject matter or learning process, their potential for critical thought and action will be restricted." (12)
I felt that this quote was very powerful. It was something that was very true and that we needed to be made aware of. If students are discouraged while pursuing their education it will naturally harm them and stifle their desire to want to learn more. Education is such a big part of someone's life and that is where they learn to grow as individuals. If they don't get the proper education or opportunities, they will be stuck in neutral.
2. “The teacher brings lesson plans, learning methods, personal experience, and academic knowledge to class but negotiates the curriculum with the students and begins with their language, themes, and understandings. To be democratic implies orienting subject matter to student culture – their interests, needs, speech and perceptions – while creating a negotiable openness in class where the students’ input jointly creates the learning process.” (16)
I feel that this quote is very reflective of what teachers should be doing. Although teachers may walk into a classroom knowing which lessons they plan to teach and how they want to go about doing so, the teacher must keep in mind they he/she must curve the teaching style/subject to what the students need. Teachers should also connect what they are teaching in the classroom to subject matters outside the classroom as well, the student should feel that the material they are learning are important and that it relates to them. If students feel connected to the material they are more likely to try harder when it comes to work. This will also create an open and receptive class, students won't be afraid to share their viewpoints and opinions with everyone.
3. "In school and society, the lack of meaningful participation alienates workers, teachers, and students. This alienation lowers their productivity in class and on the job. I think of this lowered productivity as a performance strike, an unorganized mass refusal to perform well, and informal and unacknowledged strike." (20)
I felt that this quote was relevant because it is something that is seen everyday but probably something that is overlooked. I feel that when students and adults feel that they belong, or have a group that they can connect with, they are more at ease and more prone to fulfill their obligations. People who feel that they are alone, are more likely to keep to themselves and not try their hardest when it comes to their responsibilities. They will more than likely feel like they don't need to or they won't see the point in it.
This reading was enjoyable for me because I made connections to alot of the quotes to the real world. The reading told me that teachers need to bend the way they teach and to consider the life style of students into what their lesson will be about. Teachers need to show students that they are willing to work with them so that both parties will be happy, and that having an open classroom is important so that students will be encouraged to share their opinions and views. When students participate in class, they will be more successful in their education, students and teachers should work together to make sure that everyone in the classroom is comfortable.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Talking Points #9
Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizng Down Syndrome
By: Chrisopher Kliewer
1. "How absurd to be judged by others at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability who are unwillingly providing us with support or who don't listen to the voices we have." p. 2
I felt that this was such a powerful quote, and it moved me alot. I feel that people who don't understand what others are going through, shouldn't have a say in the decisions of how they should/can live their life. I feel that if people with disabilities, more specifically, people with down syndrome are able and willing to take the "average level courses" then they should do as they please. People who don't understand the disability shouldn't take it upon themselves to make decisions for them.
2. "...society itself is hurt when schools act as cultural sorting machines-locations that "justify a competitive ethnic that marginalizes certain students or groups of students...[that] legitimize discrimination and devaluation on the basis of the dominant society's preferences in matters of ability, gender, ethnicity, and race..and [that] endorse an elaborate process of sorting by perceived ability and behavior". (p. 2.)
I felt that this quote was important as well because I completely agree with it. I feel that schools often do act as "cultural sorting machines". If the schools are to be repeating this cycle over and over again, then society as a whole will never grow. We will be stuck in the same pattern, always "discriminating" never learning to trust each other or learn about the different ethnic/cultural groups outside our own.
3. "In turning his attention to school-based literacy and mathematics instruction, Gardner points out a peculiar disjointedness between classroom learning and the problemsolving, critical thinking needs of students when they enter the wider community." (p.6)
I feel that this quote is important as well because it shows that the level of knowledge measured shouldn't be just the standard mathematics and literacy. I feel that students who are "book smart" aren't always necessarily "street smart". Math and literacy that is taught in school does not guarantee a student to be successful in society. Schools need to broaden their views on what is considered "intellectual" and what is not.
I felt that this reading as a whole has broadened my horizons. I never stopped to think that students with disabilities could/would want to be learning in classrooms like my own. I don't necessarily think I thought they shouldn't, it just never came to my attention, and I never thought it was important for me to think about things such as these until I did this reading. I connected this reading to Delpits, "culture of power". I felt that the school administration didn't and shouldn't have a right to place student with disabilities in a "special ed" class. This relates to Delpits culture of power because of rule 5 which states that those with power don't know or acknowledge that their power exist, and that those who don't have power, often acknowledge or are aware of their powerlessness. The students with disabilities are quite aware of the decision making power the school's authority has and the school doesn't even realize or are aware of the affect their decisions have on their studnets.
By: Chrisopher Kliewer
1. "How absurd to be judged by others at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability who are unwillingly providing us with support or who don't listen to the voices we have." p. 2
I felt that this was such a powerful quote, and it moved me alot. I feel that people who don't understand what others are going through, shouldn't have a say in the decisions of how they should/can live their life. I feel that if people with disabilities, more specifically, people with down syndrome are able and willing to take the "average level courses" then they should do as they please. People who don't understand the disability shouldn't take it upon themselves to make decisions for them.
2. "...society itself is hurt when schools act as cultural sorting machines-locations that "justify a competitive ethnic that marginalizes certain students or groups of students...[that] legitimize discrimination and devaluation on the basis of the dominant society's preferences in matters of ability, gender, ethnicity, and race..and [that] endorse an elaborate process of sorting by perceived ability and behavior". (p. 2.)
I felt that this quote was important as well because I completely agree with it. I feel that schools often do act as "cultural sorting machines". If the schools are to be repeating this cycle over and over again, then society as a whole will never grow. We will be stuck in the same pattern, always "discriminating" never learning to trust each other or learn about the different ethnic/cultural groups outside our own.
3. "In turning his attention to school-based literacy and mathematics instruction, Gardner points out a peculiar disjointedness between classroom learning and the problemsolving, critical thinking needs of students when they enter the wider community." (p.6)
I feel that this quote is important as well because it shows that the level of knowledge measured shouldn't be just the standard mathematics and literacy. I feel that students who are "book smart" aren't always necessarily "street smart". Math and literacy that is taught in school does not guarantee a student to be successful in society. Schools need to broaden their views on what is considered "intellectual" and what is not.
I felt that this reading as a whole has broadened my horizons. I never stopped to think that students with disabilities could/would want to be learning in classrooms like my own. I don't necessarily think I thought they shouldn't, it just never came to my attention, and I never thought it was important for me to think about things such as these until I did this reading. I connected this reading to Delpits, "culture of power". I felt that the school administration didn't and shouldn't have a right to place student with disabilities in a "special ed" class. This relates to Delpits culture of power because of rule 5 which states that those with power don't know or acknowledge that their power exist, and that those who don't have power, often acknowledge or are aware of their powerlessness. The students with disabilities are quite aware of the decision making power the school's authority has and the school doesn't even realize or are aware of the affect their decisions have on their studnets.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
My 7th Week.
This week there was no intervention because the kids were being assessed. I was very excited, because I wanted to see how much my kids had improved. But then Ms. Pretty told us that we were going to be assessing different kids, because our kids were most likely already assessed by the teachers. This bummed me out a bit, but felt a little better after she told us we could see how our kids did before we left the school for the day.
Ms. Pretty gave us a sheet with simple directions on how to assess the students. It basically said to read each section carefully, pronounce the correct sounds, make it clear to the student what you are asking, repeat directions over again if it is not understood, and not to tell the child whether or not he/she got the answer right/wrong. Each student was placed in a category i.e. rhyming, identification/categorization, blending. And that was the section that the student starts off with during the assessment, after you are finished with that section, you must cover the next two categories before you end. If however, the child gets a 4/5 or a 5/5 in the next two categories, then continue on with the next category, and don't stop until the child receives a 3/5 in a category. If the child finishes the whole packet with a grade of 4/5 or 5/5 on every section, then that child would be moving to phonics because they are on the brink of learning how to read.
I went to my usual room, (room 24) and asked the teacher which students still needed assessing. She gave me two folders, the first one was named Robert. I pulled Robert from his activity at the art table and brought him to a quiet corner in the room. Robert was working on his Rhyming, so I started off with that section, asking him different questions and marking which ones he got right and which ones he got wrong. He did very well, and i moved onto the next section. Before I knew it, Robert was already on the back of the page! I was so excited, I thought that Robert was going to finish all the sections with either a 4/5 or 5/5 but the second to last section Robert received a 3/5 and thats when I was obligated to stop. I was very impressed with Robert and wanted to know who his tutor was, I know whoever it is would be so proud of him for doing such a good job on all of the sections.
The next person I had was Jose, and he was also working on rhyming. Unfortunately, Jose didn't do as well as Robert did but he did achieve a 5/5 on the section he was working on (rhyming). The next two sections I had to have him assessed in he received a 3/5 so I stopped after the required sections.
After that, I went back to the room where all the reading buddies meet and talked about my experience with the other tutors. They had similar responses, some of their kids did well and some of them didn't. The files on my kids weren't in the teachers room so I have to wait until next week to see how they scored. Ms.Pretty came in and asked if I could assess one more student because she was running behind and I said that it was fine.
It was a girl named Roxie, she was on the blending section. Roxie did very well in her section and the next two sections so I moved onto the next section after that. That is where Roxie didn't do as well and only received a 2/5 so thats when I stopped. I gave the folder back to the teacher. All the students in the classroom kept asking me when they were going to get turns and be assessed by me but I told them that it wasn't up to me, and that if I could, I'd like to assess all of them. They were all very cute and I didn't even want to leave that day, I was having a great time with all the one on one sessions I had. I went back to the room and had my papers signed before I made my way back to RIC.
Ms. Pretty reminded us that we didn't have intervention next week because the studnets would be on spring break. I now have to wait 2 weeks to see how my kids did. I'll be waiting, I'm hoping they did as well as I know they all can. =)
Ms. Pretty gave us a sheet with simple directions on how to assess the students. It basically said to read each section carefully, pronounce the correct sounds, make it clear to the student what you are asking, repeat directions over again if it is not understood, and not to tell the child whether or not he/she got the answer right/wrong. Each student was placed in a category i.e. rhyming, identification/categorization, blending. And that was the section that the student starts off with during the assessment, after you are finished with that section, you must cover the next two categories before you end. If however, the child gets a 4/5 or a 5/5 in the next two categories, then continue on with the next category, and don't stop until the child receives a 3/5 in a category. If the child finishes the whole packet with a grade of 4/5 or 5/5 on every section, then that child would be moving to phonics because they are on the brink of learning how to read.
I went to my usual room, (room 24) and asked the teacher which students still needed assessing. She gave me two folders, the first one was named Robert. I pulled Robert from his activity at the art table and brought him to a quiet corner in the room. Robert was working on his Rhyming, so I started off with that section, asking him different questions and marking which ones he got right and which ones he got wrong. He did very well, and i moved onto the next section. Before I knew it, Robert was already on the back of the page! I was so excited, I thought that Robert was going to finish all the sections with either a 4/5 or 5/5 but the second to last section Robert received a 3/5 and thats when I was obligated to stop. I was very impressed with Robert and wanted to know who his tutor was, I know whoever it is would be so proud of him for doing such a good job on all of the sections.
The next person I had was Jose, and he was also working on rhyming. Unfortunately, Jose didn't do as well as Robert did but he did achieve a 5/5 on the section he was working on (rhyming). The next two sections I had to have him assessed in he received a 3/5 so I stopped after the required sections.
After that, I went back to the room where all the reading buddies meet and talked about my experience with the other tutors. They had similar responses, some of their kids did well and some of them didn't. The files on my kids weren't in the teachers room so I have to wait until next week to see how they scored. Ms.Pretty came in and asked if I could assess one more student because she was running behind and I said that it was fine.
It was a girl named Roxie, she was on the blending section. Roxie did very well in her section and the next two sections so I moved onto the next section after that. That is where Roxie didn't do as well and only received a 2/5 so thats when I stopped. I gave the folder back to the teacher. All the students in the classroom kept asking me when they were going to get turns and be assessed by me but I told them that it wasn't up to me, and that if I could, I'd like to assess all of them. They were all very cute and I didn't even want to leave that day, I was having a great time with all the one on one sessions I had. I went back to the room and had my papers signed before I made my way back to RIC.
Ms. Pretty reminded us that we didn't have intervention next week because the studnets would be on spring break. I now have to wait 2 weeks to see how my kids did. I'll be waiting, I'm hoping they did as well as I know they all can. =)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Talking Points #8
Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work
By: Jean Anyon
1."Work is often evaluated not according to whether it is right or wrong but according to whether the children followed the right steps." p.3
I picked this quote because it was something that really bothered me as I read it. I feel that this isn't new to the educational system, I feel that there are some teachers that base grades on whether or not they feel the student followed the procedure and not if the student got the question right. I feel that if the student is not following the right steps, then the teacher should still give the student credit if the right answer is produced. There are always many different ways to come up with an answer, so the student shouldn't be penalized for following a different procedure, but rewarded for being able to figure it out on their own.
2. "The four fifth grade teachers observed in the working-class schools attempted to control classroom time and space by making decisions without consulting the children and without explaining the basis for their decisions...very often ignored the bells to switch classes...Things in the room "belonged" to the teacher." p. 5
I picked this quote because this is something that bothered me too, this is also something that I can connect with. While reading this passage I thought of my middle school experience, where some of my teachers would do the same things that the teachers in this passage would do. Often times, teachers would ignore the bell and keep us after the allotted time because they didn't finish their lesson plan. Everything in the classroom belonged to the teacher. We did have clocks in the classroom however, so the students weren't nearly as dependent on the teachers as the students in the passage are. But the thought that these students are so tightly controlled in this article bothers me a lot.
3. "Social studies also involves almost daily presentation by the children of some event from the news. The teacher's questions ask the children to expand what they say, to give more details, and to be more specific. Occasionally she adds some remarks to help them see connections between events." p. 8
I picked this quote again because this is something that I can relate to. During my fifth grade class, we did "current events" and every monday students presented their article to the class. We were to pick an article out of the newspaper, bring the article to class, write a short summary explaining the article and then connect to our lives. I thought and still think this is a good idea, it is a great way for students to get involved with their community and learn what is going on in the world.
I found this article to be an interesting one, especially because I related to many of the instances in the article. This has to be one of my favorite articles to date, I love reading about the differences between social classes. I found that the higher up the child is in the income bracket, the more fun they had in school, and the more freedom they had. The lower income students didn't have any freedom, most of their lesson plans were repetitive, they didn't have fun with any of the projects. The problem with this kind of learning is that it is basically memorization. The students who came from privileged families had more freedom to express their imagination and creativity. They learned without textbooks, did many different kinds of projects, worked together, and had more freedom to roam around the school. The teachers considered them while doing lesson plans, and negotiated with the students. I like to think that this is the best way to teach, if the students are having fun, they will put forth more effort and there will be a better turn around for both the students and the teachers.
By: Jean Anyon
1."Work is often evaluated not according to whether it is right or wrong but according to whether the children followed the right steps." p.3
I picked this quote because it was something that really bothered me as I read it. I feel that this isn't new to the educational system, I feel that there are some teachers that base grades on whether or not they feel the student followed the procedure and not if the student got the question right. I feel that if the student is not following the right steps, then the teacher should still give the student credit if the right answer is produced. There are always many different ways to come up with an answer, so the student shouldn't be penalized for following a different procedure, but rewarded for being able to figure it out on their own.
2. "The four fifth grade teachers observed in the working-class schools attempted to control classroom time and space by making decisions without consulting the children and without explaining the basis for their decisions...very often ignored the bells to switch classes...Things in the room "belonged" to the teacher." p. 5
I picked this quote because this is something that bothered me too, this is also something that I can connect with. While reading this passage I thought of my middle school experience, where some of my teachers would do the same things that the teachers in this passage would do. Often times, teachers would ignore the bell and keep us after the allotted time because they didn't finish their lesson plan. Everything in the classroom belonged to the teacher. We did have clocks in the classroom however, so the students weren't nearly as dependent on the teachers as the students in the passage are. But the thought that these students are so tightly controlled in this article bothers me a lot.
3. "Social studies also involves almost daily presentation by the children of some event from the news. The teacher's questions ask the children to expand what they say, to give more details, and to be more specific. Occasionally she adds some remarks to help them see connections between events." p. 8
I picked this quote again because this is something that I can relate to. During my fifth grade class, we did "current events" and every monday students presented their article to the class. We were to pick an article out of the newspaper, bring the article to class, write a short summary explaining the article and then connect to our lives. I thought and still think this is a good idea, it is a great way for students to get involved with their community and learn what is going on in the world.
I found this article to be an interesting one, especially because I related to many of the instances in the article. This has to be one of my favorite articles to date, I love reading about the differences between social classes. I found that the higher up the child is in the income bracket, the more fun they had in school, and the more freedom they had. The lower income students didn't have any freedom, most of their lesson plans were repetitive, they didn't have fun with any of the projects. The problem with this kind of learning is that it is basically memorization. The students who came from privileged families had more freedom to express their imagination and creativity. They learned without textbooks, did many different kinds of projects, worked together, and had more freedom to roam around the school. The teachers considered them while doing lesson plans, and negotiated with the students. I like to think that this is the best way to teach, if the students are having fun, they will put forth more effort and there will be a better turn around for both the students and the teachers.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
My 6th Visit
This visit was a little hectic! This week Ms. Pretty said that if we thought our kids were doing well with the pre-primer sight words that we could move onto the primer words. I made the switch because after working on the same words over and over again each week, my kids pretty much knew each word without hesitation. Ms. Pretty let us know that some "candy land" board games were donated to the school and she wanted volunteers on trying out the game with the kids.
This candy land was a bit different than the other candy lands that we remember playing when we were younger. This candy land had the same characters, but they looked a little different and sometimes their names were changed. Princess Lolly was now just plain Lolly (which sort of made me sad).
I was excited to have something new for my kids because they always complained of doing the same activities over and over again. So after I met up with my kids and we talked alittle about our weekends we got down to business. First, I started with some of the new primer sight words and I was very impressed that they knew almost all of them. They did get stuck on a few but I didn't have them try to sound it out because they were supposed to know the sight words by memory. (it is impossible for them to sound out sight words, because they would get the wrong result if they sounded it out, hence the name sight word). After our quick lesson on the sight words we moved onto the candy land game.
The candy land game basically had the same rules as it normally does (each person picks up a card, each card has a color on it. Whatever color is on the card is the color that you move your character to on the game board, first person who reaches the end wins. But sometimes you land on a "gum drop" and lose a turn, or you may get a card with a picture on it, in that case you move your character to that particular picture. This may be good or bad depending on where the picture is located on teh game board. Sometimes you end up moving backwards, sometimes you end up moving very close to the finish line). For this candy land, each child had to pick up a card, each card had a color and then a sight word written on the back of the card. In order for the child to move their character to that color on the game board, they had to identify the sight word and then use that sight word in a sentence.
After I explained the directions to the game, they kids were eager to start. We had a bit of a struggle starting the game, because all of them wanted to go first, but I had them pick a number and Cindy guessed correctly so she started the game. At first all of the kids were having a great time, but after awhile Cindy got upset because she was no longer in the lead. I told them that if they would continue to act the way they were, if they were going to be "sore loser" (I didn't say that to them, I said that if they were going to get upset if they werent winning) then I would no longer indulge them with board games, I told them that I will start bringing only the sight words and a poem every week and that no matter how many times they complained about being bored that I wouldn't budge because they didn't appreciate it when I did bring something new. This got their attention very quickly, Cindy said she wasn't getting upset over not winning, but was getting upset because "her tooth hurt". I could tell right away that this was a cover up, and that she was in fact upset about not winning, after weeks of working with her, I knew she always liked being in the lead. So we all started over and played the game again. This time, I could tell that some of them were getting upset that they weren't winning, but they didn't express it in any way. They were quiet, they paid attention, and they waited patiently for their turn.
Before I knew it time was up, the game made the time fly by very quickly and this was something I was grateful for because they were all being very distruptive (until the end when I lectured them.) The only person that received a feather this week was Sophia, she never once complained, and she didn't get upset that she wasn't winning. I mostly gave the lecture because of Cindy and Tom. The other two were kind of mad that they didn't get a feather but I explained to them that they weren't on their best behavior that day. I said that if they were better behaved next week that I would give them all two feathers each. This excited them and they ran off to their classrooms.
Afterwards, I talked to Ms.Pretty about my experience with the game. I told her how frustrated I was with the fact that they were all being sore losers (with the exception of Sophia). She said that that was normal behavior, keeping in mind that they are kindergardeners, they all love to win and compete with each other. She said not to let this get to me because in time they would learn to be more understanding. I told her that it went pretty well and that they knew most of the words, but I corrected them on a few of them. I then filled out my paperwork, got my log signed and then made my way back to RIC. I'm hoping if I use the candy land game next week the kids will be a little more laid back.
This candy land was a bit different than the other candy lands that we remember playing when we were younger. This candy land had the same characters, but they looked a little different and sometimes their names were changed. Princess Lolly was now just plain Lolly (which sort of made me sad).
I was excited to have something new for my kids because they always complained of doing the same activities over and over again. So after I met up with my kids and we talked alittle about our weekends we got down to business. First, I started with some of the new primer sight words and I was very impressed that they knew almost all of them. They did get stuck on a few but I didn't have them try to sound it out because they were supposed to know the sight words by memory. (it is impossible for them to sound out sight words, because they would get the wrong result if they sounded it out, hence the name sight word). After our quick lesson on the sight words we moved onto the candy land game.
The candy land game basically had the same rules as it normally does (each person picks up a card, each card has a color on it. Whatever color is on the card is the color that you move your character to on the game board, first person who reaches the end wins. But sometimes you land on a "gum drop" and lose a turn, or you may get a card with a picture on it, in that case you move your character to that particular picture. This may be good or bad depending on where the picture is located on teh game board. Sometimes you end up moving backwards, sometimes you end up moving very close to the finish line). For this candy land, each child had to pick up a card, each card had a color and then a sight word written on the back of the card. In order for the child to move their character to that color on the game board, they had to identify the sight word and then use that sight word in a sentence.
After I explained the directions to the game, they kids were eager to start. We had a bit of a struggle starting the game, because all of them wanted to go first, but I had them pick a number and Cindy guessed correctly so she started the game. At first all of the kids were having a great time, but after awhile Cindy got upset because she was no longer in the lead. I told them that if they would continue to act the way they were, if they were going to be "sore loser" (I didn't say that to them, I said that if they were going to get upset if they werent winning) then I would no longer indulge them with board games, I told them that I will start bringing only the sight words and a poem every week and that no matter how many times they complained about being bored that I wouldn't budge because they didn't appreciate it when I did bring something new. This got their attention very quickly, Cindy said she wasn't getting upset over not winning, but was getting upset because "her tooth hurt". I could tell right away that this was a cover up, and that she was in fact upset about not winning, after weeks of working with her, I knew she always liked being in the lead. So we all started over and played the game again. This time, I could tell that some of them were getting upset that they weren't winning, but they didn't express it in any way. They were quiet, they paid attention, and they waited patiently for their turn.
Before I knew it time was up, the game made the time fly by very quickly and this was something I was grateful for because they were all being very distruptive (until the end when I lectured them.) The only person that received a feather this week was Sophia, she never once complained, and she didn't get upset that she wasn't winning. I mostly gave the lecture because of Cindy and Tom. The other two were kind of mad that they didn't get a feather but I explained to them that they weren't on their best behavior that day. I said that if they were better behaved next week that I would give them all two feathers each. This excited them and they ran off to their classrooms.
Afterwards, I talked to Ms.Pretty about my experience with the game. I told her how frustrated I was with the fact that they were all being sore losers (with the exception of Sophia). She said that that was normal behavior, keeping in mind that they are kindergardeners, they all love to win and compete with each other. She said not to let this get to me because in time they would learn to be more understanding. I told her that it went pretty well and that they knew most of the words, but I corrected them on a few of them. I then filled out my paperwork, got my log signed and then made my way back to RIC. I'm hoping if I use the candy land game next week the kids will be a little more laid back.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Talking Points #7
Peter McLaren
1. .."the lived sense of difference of these students in their everyday class-based culture expresses a realistic understanding of their future options in the labor force, an understanding acquired from their families, peers, and the values encoded into working-class life in general." (228)
I found this particular quote both disturbing and very real. I feel that many students look to the lifestyle that their families have (mostly parents) and feel that not only can they not do better, but that maybe they don't deserve to do better. I feel that these students are at a constant struggle, that even if they did try their hardest, they feel that because no one around them is succeeding, that they cannot succeed either.
2. "For many economically disadvantaged students, success in school means a type of forced cultural suicide, and in the case of minority youth, racial suicide..when compared to dropouts, they were significantly more depressed, less politically aware, less likely to be more assertive in the classroom if they were undergraded, and more conformist." ( p.229).
I felt that this was a very powerful quote as well, I feel that if a student did want to stay in school and not drop out like the majority of his/her classmates, then he/she would feel outcasted. Why should they committ themselves to more social abuse, when dropping out and "following the crowd" was so much easier? I feel that even if a student wanted to stay in school, they would be ridiculed by everyone around them which would make staying focused that much harder.
3. "One way in which girls combat class-bound and oppressive patriarchal features of school is to assert their "femaleness," to replace the officially sanctioned code of neatness, diligence, application, femininity, passivity, and so on, with one that is more womanly, even sexual, in nature." (p.231).
Of all the quotes, I found this one to be the saddest. I felt pity for the girls that felt they needed to replace such feminine traits with other ones "sexual ones". I feel that these girls are conforming to what their society wants them to, they are giving into the pressures to look and dress a certain way. Instead of "asserting their femaleness" they are giving into the male demands of their peers and transforming themselves as sexual objects.
I found this article extremely interesting, and I found myself agreeing with many of the things that I read throughout the essay. I thought that students do often feel pressure from the surrounding community to do certain things, with the girls in the above example, instead of what they are aiming for "asserting femaleness" they are actually doing the opposite. Instead of students taking advantage of public school, they are dropping out and conforming to what everyone else in society is doing. They feel that school is less important than giving into their "street smarts". If they do in a sense become successful, they are committing social suicide.
1. .."the lived sense of difference of these students in their everyday class-based culture expresses a realistic understanding of their future options in the labor force, an understanding acquired from their families, peers, and the values encoded into working-class life in general." (228)
I found this particular quote both disturbing and very real. I feel that many students look to the lifestyle that their families have (mostly parents) and feel that not only can they not do better, but that maybe they don't deserve to do better. I feel that these students are at a constant struggle, that even if they did try their hardest, they feel that because no one around them is succeeding, that they cannot succeed either.
2. "For many economically disadvantaged students, success in school means a type of forced cultural suicide, and in the case of minority youth, racial suicide..when compared to dropouts, they were significantly more depressed, less politically aware, less likely to be more assertive in the classroom if they were undergraded, and more conformist." ( p.229).
I felt that this was a very powerful quote as well, I feel that if a student did want to stay in school and not drop out like the majority of his/her classmates, then he/she would feel outcasted. Why should they committ themselves to more social abuse, when dropping out and "following the crowd" was so much easier? I feel that even if a student wanted to stay in school, they would be ridiculed by everyone around them which would make staying focused that much harder.
3. "One way in which girls combat class-bound and oppressive patriarchal features of school is to assert their "femaleness," to replace the officially sanctioned code of neatness, diligence, application, femininity, passivity, and so on, with one that is more womanly, even sexual, in nature." (p.231).
Of all the quotes, I found this one to be the saddest. I felt pity for the girls that felt they needed to replace such feminine traits with other ones "sexual ones". I feel that these girls are conforming to what their society wants them to, they are giving into the pressures to look and dress a certain way. Instead of "asserting their femaleness" they are giving into the male demands of their peers and transforming themselves as sexual objects.
I found this article extremely interesting, and I found myself agreeing with many of the things that I read throughout the essay. I thought that students do often feel pressure from the surrounding community to do certain things, with the girls in the above example, instead of what they are aiming for "asserting femaleness" they are actually doing the opposite. Instead of students taking advantage of public school, they are dropping out and conforming to what everyone else in society is doing. They feel that school is less important than giving into their "street smarts". If they do in a sense become successful, they are committing social suicide.