Dennis Carlson - Gayness...

Premise:

• individuality
• homosexuality
• gayness
• shame
• identity
• silence
• ridiculous crushes
• school discipline
• invisibility
• abnormal society
• schooling

Argument:

• Carlson argues that the topic of homosexuality or gayness in schools is causing a fragmented community and an innate confusion between who one can be in school, and who one is within oneself.

Evidence:

• "Throughout much of this century, the dominant idea of community in America was represented by waht I willc all the normalizing community"
• "One thing we can conclude about the emerging shape of community in America is taht becuase it is more fragmented, it is becoming more difficult to construct a "public" curriculum that has broad based support."
• "throughout this century, one of the primary means of ensuring that gayness was in invisible presence in the school was through dismissal of teachers who were found out to be homosexual." Carlson goes on to say taht they were viewed as improper role models and that many people were concerned about improper relations./ child molestation.

Questions/Comments:

• I dont really have any. I dont totally understand therefore i have no worthwhile comments.

Aria - Richard Rodriguea

Premise:

• bilingual
• public indentity
• personal identity
• students and teachers
• ESL
• title confusion from one language to another
• home conflict

Argument:

• Rodriguez argues that sacrificing part of your private identity is necessary and worthwhile in order to gain and formulate a more widely accepted public identity.

Evidence:

• there is a difference between language appropriate in the home atmosphere and language needed to succeed in the public and schooling spheres. But such seperation can cause confusion in child trying to blend two different cultures. "My mother! My father! After English became my primary language, I no longer knew what words to use when addressing my parents”.

Comment

• I enjoyed this piece, but honestly the title caught my attention more than anything else. Why he would reference a musical term used in Opera caught me off guard and made me wonder how it connected to public versus private identity,.

What Amazing Grace?

Jonathan Kozol, Amazing Grace

Premise:

• unfairness
• incompetance
• laziness
• dirty
• income
• unkempt
• unhealthy
• sadness
• disgruntled
• despairing
• race
• drugs
• irrational decisions
• hopelessness
• un-even lifestyle

Authors Argument:

• Kozol argues that the desparity in certain parts of New York and New York City are due to a lack of social and economic concern for men, women and children who are at or below poverty. Sturggling to survive in a drug and disease infested world, that they should never have to cope with in the first place.

Evidence:

• When Cliffie, a young man who shows Kozol around, expresses a morbid enthusiasm about an incinerator located within his neighborhood. Cliffie's mother later explains that it is in their neighborhood because when it was proposed to placed in Manhattan, that the parents in those neighborhoods complained that it could cause cancer.
• also, When David, another one of Kozol's interviewees, calls Kozol while he is home in MA just to talk to him about the condition of his ailing mother. His mothers fear of hospitals sadly overrides her fear of death becuase her doctor informed her that a stay in a hospital could easily worsen her already fatal condition.

Questions/Comments:

• I much preferred this article to Delpit, though in my opinion it said the same thing (ideally). It was a much more logical and close at home approach to bring his point home.

Moi?

Ok, I dont really know french that much, or spanish for that matter even though I took both in middle and high school. But I love to play around with language. I went to a very small, (but exceedingly great) high school, so even in my second semester I am still dealing with a little culture shock. Other than attending my classes and doing homework, I spend my time working at a music studio (i love music), babysitting and working at my church. None of which are as boring as they sound. I pretty much hate homework (who doesn't) but love reading...so theres a tidbit about me...ttfn