"One More River to Cross" -- Charles Lawrence

Premise:

• ignorance
• inequality
• privelage
• american schools
• segragation/desegregation
• students
• labeling

Argument:

• Lawrence argues that the presence of segregation is an ever present issue that isn't going to just disappear and that those who are opressed must keep full sight of their goals and keep old of their self-evident truths of equality.

Evidence:

• "The oppressor's understanding of his oppression is limited by self-interest, and ultimately we must find ways to make our oppression operate against the self-interest of those in power." (pg. 293)
• "Once the state has effectively institutionalized racial segregation as a labeling device, only minimal maintenance is required". (pg. 286)
• " ...keep these self-evidant truths clear in our minds. Too often we have been sidetracked in our struggle becuase we have lost sight of our goal, or accepted the oppressor's definitions, or mistaken the means for the ends." (p. 293)

Questions/Comments:

• I don't know why, but his particular statement got me... “Segregation is organic and self-perpetuating. Once established it will not be eliminated by mere removal of public sanction but must be affirmatively destroyed.” - it reminds of Martin Luther King Jr. and his protest before and after the civil rights act. That he knew that they needed to pursue not just "equality" but freedom.
• I think its interesting that Lawrence referances self-evident truths. ie.) Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?? - or is he describing his own self-evident truths...?

Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route -- Jeannie Oakes

Premise:

• Tracking
• students
• teacher
• high-ability
• low-performing
• school politics
• rich-richer, poor-poorer
• consequences
• opportunities
• alternatives
• well developed curriculum
• constructive competitiveness
• punitive v. encouragement
• visualization
• student evaluation

Arguement:

• Oakes argues that teachers need to emphasize their own professionalism while intiating a more successfull and condusive learning enviroment for students of either high or low performance, to bring low students up and increase the participation of high performing students with the rest of the student body.

Evidence:

• "working with their communities, school staffs can desing changes that are compatible with school goals and also politically mangageable." (p. 181)
• "creating constructive alternatives to tracking presents technical as well as political problems. Despite promising research finding abotu heterogeneous grouping, little is likely to be accomplished by simply mixing students up." (p. 179)
• "...classroom knowlege that remains connected to its larger context is much easier for student to understand and use." (p. 180)

Questions/Comments:

• when i was in middle school we had a tracking system, but "only the teachers knew how it worked". They didn't use straight alphabet but all the students did was try and figure what level they were. Are we in the top 3? Why we cared, i dont know but it was a constant preoccupation to be better.
• even without tracking, what about the special education or remedial children who need resource class. Then even withough tracking those kids who have disorders taht need help are still singled out. Any system needs constant work, b/c even with inclusion models, all the children know who the teacher is focused on... but i digress...

In the Service of What? Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

Premise:

• Service Learning
• volunteering
• what can you do
• controversy in education
• community
• learning experience
• teachers
• politics
• students
• compassion
• involvement
• advantage/disadvantage
• reality

Argument:

• Kahne and Westheimer argue that service learning differs from the execution of the individual teacher and that it has many aspects to it, some simply being the challenge of politics and accepted morality.

Evidence:

• "proponents of service learning have worked to find common ground between Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, business leaders and community activisit" (p.2)
• "...authentic learning experiences, reflection on matters of social concern, and opportunites for interdisciplinary study linked to curricular goals." (p.3)
• "Just was the difference between change and charity may provide an important conceptual distinction for those analyzing service learning curricula, it is helpful to distinguish the moral, political, and intellectual goals that motivate those who support service learning." (p.5)
• "The importance for a meaningful reflective component becomes clearer when one considers the kind of deliberation and studnet empowerment that such a curriculum can foster." (p. 11)

Questions/Comments:

• Service learning has its place and always will. The vitality of volunteering is evident in everyday society or you wouldn't see so many juveniles getting community service, which is not the same but still, to volunteer is to sacrifice time and energy to better ones community. I volunteer at a food bank and its touching to see how excited an elderly women can get that prospect of bringing home a jar of peanut butter for her grandkids.

Jeff Dunham Video

For some reason our discussion on media in class reminded me of this. Sorry I couldnt get the video itself to post...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1uwOL4rB-go

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us -- Linda Christensen

Premise:

• Media
• Cartoons
• racism
• sexism
• Popeye
• Children
• Society
• Disney ideals
• Hierarchy
• better world
• black cinderella... Cindy Ellie
• Stereotypes
• Awareness
• Ignorace
• Happiness
• Analyzation of current society

Argument:

• Christensen argues that as children are constantly exposed to carefully crafted media, with carefully planned morals and messages ingrained into their plots, that young society it subliminaly being shaped and manipulated to fit the present mold.

Evidence:

• Christensen approachs main stream media as a challenge, one to be proven incorrect and questionable. As she states in her opinion of how she wants her students to take in her lectures.... "I want my students to question this accepted knowlege and the secret education delivered by cartoons as well as by the traditional literary canon"
• "both of these tales leave young women with two myths: Happiness means getting a man, a transformation from wretched conditions can be achieved through consumption- in their case, through new clothes and a new hairstyle." This quote is an affirmation of what she is striving to bring to the younger generation. That all of these messages given by the media are not saving children for corrupt morality but teaching them that happiness is only found through certain, often unattainable values.

Comments/Questions:

• This is probably my favorite piece thus far. I have always firmly beleived in the ability of meida to subconsciously affect action and emotion in everyone not just children. I am excited to see how everyone else in class has responded to Christensen's activity's in her classroom, that seem to be very affective in changing the views of her students indefinately.