Friday, September 13, 2013
About Me Take Two :)
Hello everyone! So this is my blog that I used in FNED 346... figured I would just continue with the same one haha. So this is my fourth year at RIC but I am not graduating this year. I was en route in the education/special education but after I had taken one social work class I was at a stand still because it was either I apply to Feinstein or I apply to the school of social work. Soooooo luckily I learned about this program shortly after that dilemma and figured it was a perfect fit for me :) I do not have any experience working in non profit programs but I have been around kids my entire life. I have always babysat, gone to work with my mom (who is a teacher) and spent time with my niece (she is my princess and my world- I love her so much...obv. she's the one in the picture with me) so they are my niche. I have also completed I believe 3 practicums and I just love going into it and how excited the kids are to learn and to see you and oh jeez! They're just so cute!! ANYWAYYYY.... So that is pretty much my experience with RIC and YD so far but I cannot wait to watch that list grow :)
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Social Justice Event - Panel on T - Pain
For the Social Justice Event, I attended the panel on T-Pain. I found this event to be very informative because I learned a lot of things that I didn’t know. For example, one of T-Pain’s dancers was there talking about how nice of a guy he was and how he doesn’t force the girls to dress or act certain ways- that they have the ultimate say in what they wear and/or do on stage. I thought this was really important because most people would just assume that he makes them dress and act a certain way.
Dr. Bogad was on the panel along with about six other people. At times, the discussions got pretty intense due to disagreements and people feeling very strongly about their opinions- which we have learned through this class is fine. Students brought up good point as well as a few adults that were in the audience and from what I could tell, a good number of the students there were Bogad‘s students. One of the adults from the crowd left a big impact on how I feel on the whole subject though.
This man has three daughters, two twins that are about 10 or 12...I cant remember…and the third is 17. He was reminiscing about when the oldest was a little girl and I could actually tell that he was getting choked up just talking about it. He talked about how she used to say that she would never dance like those girls or show as much skin as they do with the outfits that they wear. He thought that all was good and that he was going to be able to shield her from all of the pressures of the media and society and keep her his little girl forever. He claims that he was wrong. She started wearing the tight shirts and tight jeans, listening to the music she used to claim to hate and as he put it, “she fell victim to the relentless media machine”. He went on to talk about how he feels that he lost her and how “Girls have no chance in today’s society”. Others assured him that it would all be ok and that he hasn’t lost her- she may be on a vacation but due to the fact that they created a strong foundation when she was young, that she’ll eventually come back.
I felt that his point about girls having no chance resonated very deep with me. By no means do I think we have NO chance but I feel that girls are definitely more likely to “fall victim to the media machine” and more likely to feel pressured but the status quo’s that the media creates. All girls, as well as guys, just need to realize what kind of person they want to be and then not be afraid to be that person. Whatever it is, though, do it for yourself, without the pressures and suggestions of the media and society. Be yourself and have your own thoughts about your life, do not just fall victim to the media machine that is growing and increasing day by day.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Shor: reflection
Shor is very question based. He urges teachers to encourage their students to question things. Question authority. Question why things are the way they are. Question opinions and views. Just don’t accept things blindly. I completely agree with him.
I also feel that although I labeled this a reflection post, I dedicate this article and post to Bogad and her FNED class. Before taking this course I often tended to take things as they were and just go with the flow. But now I have learned that it is okay to question things, in fact you should question almost everything if not everything in life. No longer do I just say alright whatever. I want to debate it. I want to have a conversation on it and I feel like I am this way because of FNED and Bogad. By no means is this a bad thing, its just something that resonated as soon as I looked at the article and the various posts related to it.
I don’t know about anyone else but after taking this course, I feel that I know a lot more about the kind of teacher that I want to be. I will definitely think of this article while continuing service learning, student teaching as well as when I am in my own classroom because I feel that it has a strong focal point. It is extremely important in my opinion to get kids to question things around them so I completely agree with Shor. I feel that we should take nothing for what it is- there is always a deeper and more complex level- and that we should always question where we stand and what we believe because things can change in the blink of an eye and so can our views.
I also feel that although I labeled this a reflection post, I dedicate this article and post to Bogad and her FNED class. Before taking this course I often tended to take things as they were and just go with the flow. But now I have learned that it is okay to question things, in fact you should question almost everything if not everything in life. No longer do I just say alright whatever. I want to debate it. I want to have a conversation on it and I feel like I am this way because of FNED and Bogad. By no means is this a bad thing, its just something that resonated as soon as I looked at the article and the various posts related to it.
I don’t know about anyone else but after taking this course, I feel that I know a lot more about the kind of teacher that I want to be. I will definitely think of this article while continuing service learning, student teaching as well as when I am in my own classroom because I feel that it has a strong focal point. It is extremely important in my opinion to get kids to question things around them so I completely agree with Shor. I feel that we should take nothing for what it is- there is always a deeper and more complex level- and that we should always question where we stand and what we believe because things can change in the blink of an eye and so can our views.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Schooling Children With Down Syndrome by Chrostopher Kliewer
Schooling Children With Down Syndrome by Chrostopher Kliewer
I feel like the only way I could respond to this article was through reflection. I have always wanted to be a teacher. I don’t know why- jus always have. I knew I wanted to work with little kids because I just absolutely love them-so it was decided elementary or early childhood….later on I decided early childhood because I love working with toddlers. Anyways…it wasn’t until two summers ago (junior to senior year in high school) that I decided I wanted to be involved in special ed. My mom is a special ed assistant so I have some background but its totally different to hear stories and to experience something yourself.
So for senior project we had to work with a mentor and complete 15hrs of fieldwork…kind of like service learning. I did my project on Autism, though not Down Syndrome, another disability. Through going to the school and helping these children I fell in love with the ides of teaching special ed. I felt like I couldn’t just walk away and leave it like that.so here I am.
This article just made me feel even more for kids with disabilities. Its hard enough to be told statistic wise or theoretically what could happen to them in schools but its just heart and gut wrenching to hear personal accounts.
Mia Peterson made the statement: “I started to notice that I didn’t like the classes I was taking called special education. I had to go through special ed. almost all my life. I wanted to take other classes that interested me. I had never felt so mad. I wanted to cry.” (Peterson, 1994, p.6) This makes me sad because of how much she missed out on. I guess it kind of relates to the knapsack and white privilege- kids without disabilities have one of the knapsacks and those with the disability unfortunately do not.
The second part that really hit home with me or touched me was when Jason Kingsley asks “How do we erase those negative attitudes…that people without disabilities are judging us” Snow, an advocate in the disability rights movement replies, “How absurd to be judged by others at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability or who are unwillingly providing us with support or who don’t listen to the voices we have.”
I just really like this small conversation between Kingsley and Snow because I totally agree. I don’t see why people feel the need to talk about them or make joke when really its not funny. We have no idea what it is like unless we are also affected by the disability- in which case there are still various levels.
Id like to discuss in class how we may handle issues of harassment in the schools with the words like retard, sped and idiot. I cringe every time I hear these words come out of children’s mouths so I would like to prepare for the next time I hear it.
I feel like the only way I could respond to this article was through reflection. I have always wanted to be a teacher. I don’t know why- jus always have. I knew I wanted to work with little kids because I just absolutely love them-so it was decided elementary or early childhood….later on I decided early childhood because I love working with toddlers. Anyways…it wasn’t until two summers ago (junior to senior year in high school) that I decided I wanted to be involved in special ed. My mom is a special ed assistant so I have some background but its totally different to hear stories and to experience something yourself.
So for senior project we had to work with a mentor and complete 15hrs of fieldwork…kind of like service learning. I did my project on Autism, though not Down Syndrome, another disability. Through going to the school and helping these children I fell in love with the ides of teaching special ed. I felt like I couldn’t just walk away and leave it like that.so here I am.
This article just made me feel even more for kids with disabilities. Its hard enough to be told statistic wise or theoretically what could happen to them in schools but its just heart and gut wrenching to hear personal accounts.
Mia Peterson made the statement: “I started to notice that I didn’t like the classes I was taking called special education. I had to go through special ed. almost all my life. I wanted to take other classes that interested me. I had never felt so mad. I wanted to cry.” (Peterson, 1994, p.6) This makes me sad because of how much she missed out on. I guess it kind of relates to the knapsack and white privilege- kids without disabilities have one of the knapsacks and those with the disability unfortunately do not.
The second part that really hit home with me or touched me was when Jason Kingsley asks “How do we erase those negative attitudes…that people without disabilities are judging us” Snow, an advocate in the disability rights movement replies, “How absurd to be judged by others at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability or who are unwillingly providing us with support or who don’t listen to the voices we have.”
I just really like this small conversation between Kingsley and Snow because I totally agree. I don’t see why people feel the need to talk about them or make joke when really its not funny. We have no idea what it is like unless we are also affected by the disability- in which case there are still various levels.
Id like to discuss in class how we may handle issues of harassment in the schools with the words like retard, sped and idiot. I cringe every time I hear these words come out of children’s mouths so I would like to prepare for the next time I hear it.
just wanted to share : )
hey everyone..i dont usually use the blog to share random info about my life but i was really excited and thought id share...i just got my first tattoo this past saturday (4/16). its a heart made up of a bass and treble clef. i was wicked excited and just thought id post a picture of it for you guys to see :)and btw- i totally reccomend that if anyone is considering getting one that you go to Inflicting Ink in Portsmouth....its a world famous tattoo shop and theyre wicked nice :)
Thursday, April 14, 2011
randommmm
i saw this on the Today show this morning and thought it would relate to our class and the discussion we had a few classes ago...just one of the ways this class stays with you..always making you think and see things that you may not have earlier on...
Why Schools Need to Take Another Route by Jeannie Oakes
Why Schools Need to Take Another Route by Jeannie Oakes
**Argument**
Jeannie Oakes argues that ability tracking is not the way to go in the education system. Separating students based on various skill and academic levels may seem like a good idea but in reality it is, for the most part, only helping the higher ability students; the ones who need it least in most cases.
There are some benefits and some understandable reasons to tracking. If the schools were tracked, the students who are excelling in a certain area would have a chance at succeeding even further and those who need the extra help will hopefully be given the extra support and assistance that they need.
Tracking can lead to a multitude of issues. There could be more racial/ethnic division due to the fact that it is usually minority students in the low-ability classes or groups. There could be an outbreak of even more competition in classes. Or there could be the opposite effect- students could have no motivation. They can either strive to get into those high-ability classes/groups, doing anything they can to make it, or have no hope of doing so because they feel that because they have been categorized as low-ability.
Ultimately its up to each district to decide what is best for its students but I personally think that Oakes would have us stray away from tracking. It creates an unequal learning environment and in a time where there are supposed to be no children left behind, there are more children being left behind than ever before.
Id like to discuss in class how everyone else feels. What is the class’ feeling on tracking? Have people experienced it? Do we think it is beneficial or the opposite or do we not have a preference?
**Argument**
Jeannie Oakes argues that ability tracking is not the way to go in the education system. Separating students based on various skill and academic levels may seem like a good idea but in reality it is, for the most part, only helping the higher ability students; the ones who need it least in most cases.
There are some benefits and some understandable reasons to tracking. If the schools were tracked, the students who are excelling in a certain area would have a chance at succeeding even further and those who need the extra help will hopefully be given the extra support and assistance that they need.
Tracking can lead to a multitude of issues. There could be more racial/ethnic division due to the fact that it is usually minority students in the low-ability classes or groups. There could be an outbreak of even more competition in classes. Or there could be the opposite effect- students could have no motivation. They can either strive to get into those high-ability classes/groups, doing anything they can to make it, or have no hope of doing so because they feel that because they have been categorized as low-ability.
Ultimately its up to each district to decide what is best for its students but I personally think that Oakes would have us stray away from tracking. It creates an unequal learning environment and in a time where there are supposed to be no children left behind, there are more children being left behind than ever before.
Id like to discuss in class how everyone else feels. What is the class’ feeling on tracking? Have people experienced it? Do we think it is beneficial or the opposite or do we not have a preference?
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