This class has truly been a blessing. All the readings have been excellent in what this class is teaching us. I have learned so much by reading Tuck's blog, reading everyone's posts discussion, and articles. I have accomplished so much in this course starting with using a blog to formulate and express my ideas on behalf of the weeks readings.
I previously had a blog which talks on the Palestine and Israel conflict. I was very into it but I have not update it recently because I have not found the time to sit and write. I will try very hard to continue engaging myself in blogging about that conflict and issues in literacy for diverse learners. This is my 2nd blog and I expect myself to blog more about topics I feel strongly about.
Paulo Freie Pedagogy of the Oppressed speaks on the trails I have been through in this education system and I will always look back to his article to remind myself how important it is to have a teacher who cares.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Blog #9
"Critical literacy is a response to injustice and the production of illiteracy in which students and teachers work together to develop a fundamental state of learning."
This week's reading was my favorite in which it was on Paulo Freire's article "Pedagogy of the oppressed." This amazing article talks about how students are basically seen as robots and the teacher just delivers the information or "knowledge" and expect the students to have learned it by seeing how well that student does on a test. The concept Freire is referring to is the banking model in which teachers deposit knowledge to the student and expect the student to understand. This model for teaching is completely useless because teachers are not forced to make sure the student has learned the information given. Teachers who are teaching for the standardized tests usually use this model because teachers feel that is the only way the students will pass the examine. Students are not learning but are memorizing everything given so therefore they are not learning anything. We need to understand that “knowledge emerges only through invention and reinvention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.” In order to make sure our students are learning, we need to make sure they are using this knowledge for their future endeavors.
I feel that in many cases during my education career, I was a victim of being oppressed by a teacher's pedagogy. There were many times in which the banking method was implemented in many subject areas. I knew myself and every time a teacher based the class grade on test scores, I automatically knew I was not going to do well. I feel that there are various forms of what you can test your student's knowledge and exams are not a great tool to measure that. I feel that teachers who do base their class grades solely on tests, are teachers who do not care whether that student has learned anything in class. One example that is related to this is that I graduated high school with an overall 71 percent average. Extremely low and miraculously got accepted to a four year university. Another person in my class, graduated with an 90 average but yet she was not able to pass her first semester while I've continued. Goes to show that it's not about how high your test scores may be, its what you know and how you are going to overcome.
Powerful video for you to see. The power of youtube :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRq8ZSuXuJ4
This week's reading was my favorite in which it was on Paulo Freire's article "Pedagogy of the oppressed." This amazing article talks about how students are basically seen as robots and the teacher just delivers the information or "knowledge" and expect the students to have learned it by seeing how well that student does on a test. The concept Freire is referring to is the banking model in which teachers deposit knowledge to the student and expect the student to understand. This model for teaching is completely useless because teachers are not forced to make sure the student has learned the information given. Teachers who are teaching for the standardized tests usually use this model because teachers feel that is the only way the students will pass the examine. Students are not learning but are memorizing everything given so therefore they are not learning anything. We need to understand that “knowledge emerges only through invention and reinvention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.” In order to make sure our students are learning, we need to make sure they are using this knowledge for their future endeavors.
I feel that in many cases during my education career, I was a victim of being oppressed by a teacher's pedagogy. There were many times in which the banking method was implemented in many subject areas. I knew myself and every time a teacher based the class grade on test scores, I automatically knew I was not going to do well. I feel that there are various forms of what you can test your student's knowledge and exams are not a great tool to measure that. I feel that teachers who do base their class grades solely on tests, are teachers who do not care whether that student has learned anything in class. One example that is related to this is that I graduated high school with an overall 71 percent average. Extremely low and miraculously got accepted to a four year university. Another person in my class, graduated with an 90 average but yet she was not able to pass her first semester while I've continued. Goes to show that it's not about how high your test scores may be, its what you know and how you are going to overcome.
Powerful video for you to see. The power of youtube :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRq8ZSuXuJ4
Monday, July 18, 2011
Mathphobia
This week's reading have been an eye opener for me. Math literacy is important in our society. Robert Moses have successfully examined this phenom and how it relates to civil rights. "In today's poor people economic access and full citizenship depend crucially on math and science literacy." (Moses, pg. 5) Moses could have not said it any better in which if we do not ensure the importance for math and science, our poor minority student will not become successful. I have an incredible youtube clip in which Bret Lewis talks about math literacy. This video is exactly what Dr. Moses is saying and if you can, please take a look at this video and relate it to what we have read.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpYCOSzAgeo
Lastly, we had an assignment in which we had to evaluate our writing. This assignment was very helpful for me because it actually made me sit and think about my writing. Although English is not my first language, I have grown since my freshmen year in college. I took many English courses as an undergrad because I was not ready to write at the college level. I often tend to verbiage in my writing so I try to use as many simple words as I can in order to get my message across efficiently and effectively. I know that reading a lot will improve my writing so I see that as an opportunity for myself to improve as a writer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpYCOSzAgeo
Lastly, we had an assignment in which we had to evaluate our writing. This assignment was very helpful for me because it actually made me sit and think about my writing. Although English is not my first language, I have grown since my freshmen year in college. I took many English courses as an undergrad because I was not ready to write at the college level. I often tend to verbiage in my writing so I try to use as many simple words as I can in order to get my message across efficiently and effectively. I know that reading a lot will improve my writing so I see that as an opportunity for myself to improve as a writer.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Gender Inequalities in Education??
This week's reading has been my favorite so far because I feel that young male and female children tend to be placed in assumptions may hinder one's ability to grow. Males especially suffer from this inequalities in the education system because they are seen as the tough mentally mathematical or scientific student. My question is, why can't female student be just as good as the males in those subject area. One great and prime example of this inequality is while I was taking a math course in high school, my teacher always called on the male students to go up on the board and solve math questions. You barely saw the females go up and solve any of the problems because they feared that the males in the class would make fun of them.
One thing I noticed while reading such articles is that we often limit the boys in our education system. Boys often play video games and play aggressive sports which becomes apart of who they are. We often oversee that these boys, do have much emotions as their genders' counterpart. We often refrain our young males from expressing themselves emotionally because society sees it as a "female trait" which I believe affects males and females in their career paths. I found this excellent youtube clip that questions this gender inequality in education.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qfajx0RqLo
One thing I noticed while reading such articles is that we often limit the boys in our education system. Boys often play video games and play aggressive sports which becomes apart of who they are. We often oversee that these boys, do have much emotions as their genders' counterpart. We often refrain our young males from expressing themselves emotionally because society sees it as a "female trait" which I believe affects males and females in their career paths. I found this excellent youtube clip that questions this gender inequality in education.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qfajx0RqLo
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Fair and Equal are different
This week's readings have been an eye opener for myself because I would have never thought the Sameness is not necessarily fairness. Coming from a immigrant family, I came into school with my culture and language. Coming into this education system, I did not see teachers who were teaching me anything about my culture other than oppression. We often seem to forget that we need to see students different than each other. We cannot simply teach each student the same because each student has a unique way in learning something. I looked into the web and came across this definition on fairness as the "quality of treating people equally or in a way that is right or reasonable."
After reading this week articles and chapters, I cannot see sameness as fairness. There is no way two people are the same and therefore schools should not be teaching students the same and expect students to succeed the same as well. We all come from different backgrounds and go through different experiences. As a undergrad, one of my Black Studies professor said that we all are diverse learners in the sense that some of us learn visually, physically, or mathematically. Doctor Kaba is a passionate professor at SUNY New Paltz and he really has unique ideas in which he teaches his students. If you want to listen what he has to say about diversity and learners simply click this link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/illuminated-one/2011/06/16/dr-kaba-hiawatha-kamene-dr-booker-t-coleman
After reading this week articles and chapters, I cannot see sameness as fairness. There is no way two people are the same and therefore schools should not be teaching students the same and expect students to succeed the same as well. We all come from different backgrounds and go through different experiences. As a undergrad, one of my Black Studies professor said that we all are diverse learners in the sense that some of us learn visually, physically, or mathematically. Doctor Kaba is a passionate professor at SUNY New Paltz and he really has unique ideas in which he teaches his students. If you want to listen what he has to say about diversity and learners simply click this link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/illuminated-one/2011/06/16/dr-kaba-hiawatha-kamene-dr-booker-t-coleman
Sunday, June 19, 2011
How can We tell if students are really learning!?
"After all these years of common schooling, we still have no real way of knowing if students are learning." This quote has me thinking that how do we know this? Do essays, multiple choice questions prove that students have learned? There are two arguments to this question. One, there are tests such as math and history that can definitely determine a right or wrong answer. On the other hand, there are tests that are specifically made for critical thinking.
Teachers are pressured to have their students to pass these "state tests." In the event that these students are unsuccessful in such tests, teachers are scrutinized to a level in which they are questioned of their pedagogy. Teachers have to remove themselves from such "banking" classroom methods and become much more involved with the students learning process. Although the banking method may provide order within the classroom and achieve the process of exchanging "important academic information" it does not satisfy the involvement of the learning process between students and teachers. I remember how dreadful school was when I was younger. My teachers sat in front of the class and just wanted us to read out loud and take notes. It was the same process every single year. I remember one teacher in high school who completely did his own thing and we still learned. I took a philosophy course in high school. The teacher based my grades on our participation in the classroom. I thought this was an excellent way of determining our grade because it made sure we were reading and understanding what we were reading by our responds in the classroom. He barely gave tests and essays, but when he did, they were effective in our preparation of the English regents.
Standardized tests need to be innovated. As time progresses, we need to understand that so are the students. The future lies within our young population. Although they need to understand about the basics within the classrooms, we need to prepare these students for the future. Determining a students' grasp of knowledge can no longer come from a letter grade or percentage. We need to develop innovative methods to determine if students are really learning and not just craming for the next exam!
Teachers are pressured to have their students to pass these "state tests." In the event that these students are unsuccessful in such tests, teachers are scrutinized to a level in which they are questioned of their pedagogy. Teachers have to remove themselves from such "banking" classroom methods and become much more involved with the students learning process. Although the banking method may provide order within the classroom and achieve the process of exchanging "important academic information" it does not satisfy the involvement of the learning process between students and teachers. I remember how dreadful school was when I was younger. My teachers sat in front of the class and just wanted us to read out loud and take notes. It was the same process every single year. I remember one teacher in high school who completely did his own thing and we still learned. I took a philosophy course in high school. The teacher based my grades on our participation in the classroom. I thought this was an excellent way of determining our grade because it made sure we were reading and understanding what we were reading by our responds in the classroom. He barely gave tests and essays, but when he did, they were effective in our preparation of the English regents.
Standardized tests need to be innovated. As time progresses, we need to understand that so are the students. The future lies within our young population. Although they need to understand about the basics within the classrooms, we need to prepare these students for the future. Determining a students' grasp of knowledge can no longer come from a letter grade or percentage. We need to develop innovative methods to determine if students are really learning and not just craming for the next exam!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Democracy vs. Neoliberalism
Although the Democracy and Neoliberalism may be similar, there is a vast difference between them. Neoliberalism is basically turning free public services turn into private services. Neoliberalism serves a better fit to those of the middle and upper class. The economy for companies serve best for Neoliberalism. Those who have money can afford this better service while those who are poor will not get the same quality. Naomi Klein provides a great argument on Democracy vs. Neoliberalism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfpr0DCQ-dA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfpr0DCQ-dA&feature=related
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Language Diversity
The amount of languages that is spoken in this Earth is remarkable. As humans, we have developed ways in which we communicate to on another. Language is mastered by humans by as we see in the world today, it takes time to master one particular language. As humans we need to understand that not everyone knows the same language and even if we did know the same language, there still would be different aspects within the "one language."
It is a complexed issue in the diversity of languages because there are so many. Second languages can be extremely difficult to grasp because we might relate certain words or pronouncations back to our native language. My mother does it all the time in which she tries to speak in English but she cannot communicate it fully in English and combines words that are in Spanish to get her message across.
There are many concepts in which deal with the complexity of literacy such as trilingualism, the primitive language myth, bi-culturalism, and multiple literacies. One of the concepts was designed by Judith Baker, in which she introduces the concept of trilingualism, which is a English teaching approach that focuses on the idea of students mastering three different forms of the English language. The three forms are language spoken at home, language spoken in a professional setting, and formal language . This concept is used to help students master the mechanical difference between these three forms of English.
An appreciation for diversity needs to take place in order for literacy instruction become effective. If we have a free, unbiased approach to different languages, literacy instruction will become successful in achieving its primary goal.
It is a complexed issue in the diversity of languages because there are so many. Second languages can be extremely difficult to grasp because we might relate certain words or pronouncations back to our native language. My mother does it all the time in which she tries to speak in English but she cannot communicate it fully in English and combines words that are in Spanish to get her message across.
There are many concepts in which deal with the complexity of literacy such as trilingualism, the primitive language myth, bi-culturalism, and multiple literacies. One of the concepts was designed by Judith Baker, in which she introduces the concept of trilingualism, which is a English teaching approach that focuses on the idea of students mastering three different forms of the English language. The three forms are language spoken at home, language spoken in a professional setting, and formal language . This concept is used to help students master the mechanical difference between these three forms of English.
An appreciation for diversity needs to take place in order for literacy instruction become effective. If we have a free, unbiased approach to different languages, literacy instruction will become successful in achieving its primary goal.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
What is worth knowing....
E.D. Hirsch Jr’s list is quite interesting. It has many concepts that educators provide to students but not as in depth as one may want it to be. I feel that Hirsch did an excellent job in his list. Hirsch points out that although students are "learning" on a everyday basis, they need a certain level of insight in order to fully understand what is it that they are listening or reading.
I feel that schools in America, primarily focus their teachings on the basis that the children just need to learn enough in order to pass the standardized tests. I can fully understand the pressure that these schools have because if their children did not do well, hypothetically speaking, their schools will be closed down due to "poor performance." After graduating high school, my school was shut down and one of the teachers told me that the reason why it was shutdown was because many individuals were not performing well that resulted in the shutdown.
Americans need to develop such skills in which they can gain a full understanding of the many concepts in this world. I feel that they are many concepts in which important information are hidden within the educational curriculum. I created a list in which I feel are very important concepts which some derive from Hirsch list.
Restituyo's List:
Malcolm X
Afrika's history (with a K not a C)
The Real Eve
Racism and Sexism
Methods of Learning
Freemasons
War
Diversity
Multicultural
Business
Religion
Real history of America
Slavery
Nature
This list can go forever, but off the top of my head, this is what I can grasped and I will add on to it as time goes by!
I feel that schools in America, primarily focus their teachings on the basis that the children just need to learn enough in order to pass the standardized tests. I can fully understand the pressure that these schools have because if their children did not do well, hypothetically speaking, their schools will be closed down due to "poor performance." After graduating high school, my school was shut down and one of the teachers told me that the reason why it was shutdown was because many individuals were not performing well that resulted in the shutdown.
Americans need to develop such skills in which they can gain a full understanding of the many concepts in this world. I feel that they are many concepts in which important information are hidden within the educational curriculum. I created a list in which I feel are very important concepts which some derive from Hirsch list.
Restituyo's List:
Malcolm X
Afrika's history (with a K not a C)
The Real Eve
Racism and Sexism
Methods of Learning
Freemasons
War
Diversity
Multicultural
Business
Religion
Real history of America
Slavery
Nature
This list can go forever, but off the top of my head, this is what I can grasped and I will add on to it as time goes by!
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