Video Analysis Links

  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v8D4xUnGvgx47rUUurgHN9m2EyRjWk8EOJEHrSV2tPo/edit?usp=sharing 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cayGNO0IlA-54HhshsbJxVo-GL7E7FA9Fz3vlUOp7gM/edit?usp=sharing 

What to Look for in a Classroom by: Alfie Kohn & Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy by: Learning for Justice

 What to Look for in a Classroom by: Alfie Kohn & Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy by: Learning for Justice 

After reading What to Look for in a Classroom by Alfie Kohn and watching Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy by Learning for Justice I was able to expand my knowledge of what a culturally responsive classroom would look like. As a result I can use this new knowledge when I go to my placement on Monday to see how they have set up their classroom and how their classroom is operated to see if it is culturally responsive. Even little things such as how the furniture is set up or what is on the walls has a huge impact on the students' learning. As explained in the video, having every student's culture should be encouraged in the classroom so that it can be built on and learned from. Some ways that this could be done is having students bring in an item that represents their culture into the classroom and having them present it so the other students can learn about that item and that student's culture. These items can then be left around the classroom throughout the school year so that every student has something that represents who they are. As a result of having their culture represented in the classroom the student is more likely to succeed in school and enjoy coming to school everyday. Whereas if the teacher just had posters of the typical white, ablebodied, students not as many students are going to feel represented and welcomed in their classroom. As we discussed in class these types of classrooms are typically only representing the dominant culture (SCWAAMP). Instead of having a window of knowledge for the students to learn about, it is only a mirror to those with the SCWAAMP characteristics.

*I asked Chat GPT to make two posters one culturally responsive and one not*

The Silenced Dialog By Lisa Delpit

 The Silenced Dialog By Lisa Delpit 

After reading The Silenced Dialog by Lisa Delpit it got me thinking about how even the schools rules and expectations are typically catered to white middle to high class individuals. As a result this then causes students coming from a lower class different culture background to struggle. This once again connects back to what we learned in class SCWAAMP (straight, christian, white, american, able-bodied, male, property owner. The individuals that have the SCWAAMP traits are typically those in power. As a result these powers are brought into the classrooms at school making it difficult for anyone that does not align with these qualities to struggle in schools. Delpit argues that these teachers should be teaching these classroom rules and expectations clearly to all students because not all of these “norms” are normal for all cultures and backgrounds. By ensuring to fully explain these rules and regulations to ALL students no student will be at a disadvantage.Currently in school systems if the “norms” are not being explained to all students especially those that come from colored low income household do not previously know the “norms” because it does not fit their own culture “norms”. This stresses the importance of bringing all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences into the classroom so no student is at a disadvantage.

  

The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies A Research Review By Christine E. Sleeter

 The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies A Research Review By Christine E. Sleeter

Reflection: 

After reading The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies a Research Review by Christine E. Sleeter it got me thinking about how little individuals of different ethnic backgrounds other than white individuals are represented in the school curriculum. This is a huge issue because it does not allow students of different backgrounds to incorporate in their learning during school creating inequality in their learning. When you think about what you have learned in history class you typically learn about the white male leaders in America however, you rarely learn about the African American or Native American leaders unless it is tied to slavery or immigration. When I was younger in school I remember learning about Christopher Colombus being the one who discovered America, however it was left out and barely talked about how the Indigenous population actually were the first individuals to live in America. In addition to this he enslaved native people by putting them through extreme violence and labor. This information has been surfacing more recently where as when I was in elementary school it was not nearly talked about enough. Instead we worship Christopher Colombus the white male who “discovered America”. However, this example I used was not the only one. There are many other leaders who have not been nearly recognized enough due to being African American, Native American, etc. This emphasises the need for using the Ethnic Studies approach so that it examines the perspectives that the stories are being told, race, racism, community identity, and cultural values. This incorporates every student into the school systems when learning and does not just recognize the white male leaders. This allows all students being able to make a connection with their life to what they are learning in schools encourages them to continue their journey in schooling. 

“Image from Chat Gpt: Prompt: create a graphic of how Christopher Columbus treated the indigenous population” 

  Questions/Comments/Concerns:

What are ways we can push ethnic studies in our classrooms? I would like to think of more ways as a young elementary school teacher of ways to incorporate these ethnic studies in my classroom so that every student feels connected and represented in my classroom.

Shifting the Paradigm from Deficit Oriented Schools to Asset Based Models: Why Leaders Need to Promote an Asset Orientation in our Schools

 Shifting the Paradigm from Deficit Oriented Schools to Asset Based Models: Why Leaders Need to Promote an Asset Orientation in our Schools

By:Shannon Renkly and Katherine Bertolini

Reflection: 

After reading Shifting the Paradigm from Deficit Oriented Schools to Asset Based Models: Why Leaders Need to Promote an Asset Orientation in our Schools it made me realize the importance of promoting the assets in children rather than pointing out their deficits. When reading this I was thinking about how schools are known for “teaching to the test” and not having as much freedom when teaching their lessons. This not only affects the abilities for the teachers ability to teach content but it also majorly affects how students learn. As I have previously learned in other classes there are multiple intelligences where students learn differently and have strengths in different areas. One student may have very strong abilities in music whereas another student may have strong abilities in logic and mathematics. However, in school students are not allowed to use these different intelligences. They need to have a strong ability in math and reading so that they can have a high test score. As a result the students that do not have these specific intelligences typically struggle in school. This leads to schools having a deficit oriented school system. This only promotes what the students are doing wrong and how they can fix it. As a result this affects students' positive view towards school. Students who are always being told they are always doing something incorrectly put down their motivation and their want to do well in school everyday. Then specific behaviors are resulted because they do not have a positive outlook on school anymore. However, if we changed this in schools to having an asset based model and focusing on students strengths more students would like going to school everyday. I think this is a key way to work the multiple intelligences into the school systems so that every student's intelligence can be acknowledged and have more positive feedback in their learning. 

Comments/Questions/Thoughts to share: 

What are ways you would use the asset model in your classroom? What are ways you would want to promote positive learning in your classroom?

What “Counts” as Educational Policy? Notes toward a New Paradigm By Jean Anyon

 What “Counts” as Educational Policy? Notes toward a New Paradigm By Jean Anyon

Reflection:

After reading What “Counts” as Educational Policy? Notes toward a New Paradigm By Jean Anyon I was met with the idea of poverty being a major cause of having a strong education. I came from an upper class town in Rhode Island with a great school system (Ponaganset High School) which led to me never experiencing what school systems in urban areas were like. This got me thinking: What if I did not grow up in an area with a higher socioeconomic status? How would my education have been? However, many individuals do not have this luxury of getting to wonder, they are having to experience the side effects. Individuals that have a lower socioeconomic status (SES) tend to have poorer education. As a result they tend to not further their education after high school or it becomes a financial burden. In addition, coming from a low SES you don’t have as much access to additional tools such as a tutor, early childhood education(daycare),transportation, textbooks etc. This plays a huge impact on their ability for success in school. Jean Anyon also mentions that additional factors due to a low SES such as poor housing, access to food, stressed parents all also play a role on a student's ability for success in school. To put an end to these harmful factors, policy changes are needed to be made. To start discrimination of housing needs to be stopped. As I mentioned earlier, housing plays a huge role in a child's education. Not only does it affect them physically and mentally it also prohibits them from being in what is known as the “nicer” school districts. If there was no discrimination in housing there would be a better opportunity for all SES to have equal educational opportunities. Additionally, having more early childhood programs for low income households would give them a stronger head start at their education. 

Questions/comments to share: 

What are some other policies that would benefit the lower SES with better education?What are some ways that we can provide additional resources such as food that benefit those with lower incomes?

The Broken Model by Sal Khan and A Short History of Public Schooling

The Broken Model by Sal Khan and A Short History of Public Schooling

Reflection:

After reading The Broken Model by Sal Khan and watching A Short History of Public Schooling it made me consider the changes that need to be made in today’s current public schools. As Khan explained, what is now considered the “normal” once wasn't even a societal concept. Before schooling children were learning at home by doing tasks with their parents, they learned to express themselves in many different ways. However, over time we created a test driven school system. Learning was no longer about many different aspects such as music, arts, and physical abilities. It is now about how well you do on state testing such as the SATS which is reading and math based. This then put students into boxes of whether they were intellectual or not based on their test scores. However, this does not define all students' intellectual abilities. Many students have other strengths that do not pertain to reading and math tests. This connects to Gadner's Multiple Theories of Intelligences which is eight different intelligences that suit individuals strengths. These intelligences are;linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. I believe that these eight different intelligences should become the premise of all public school systems. This would then put an end to students being put into boxes. In addition to this benefiting the students it also would benefit the teachers. Instead of teachers having to follow a strict lesson plan to “teach to the test” they would have more educational freedom. This would bring more fun and interaction into the classrooms. Connecting this back to Khan’s article it may seem like it is difficult to change the “norm” however, the norm wasn’t always there it was created. We can do the same to further change the public schools to better fit everyone's learning and intelligence.

Reflection/Questions/Comments to share: 

What are ways that we can change the school systems to allow all eight intelligences to be incorporated? What would you like to see change in the public schools?