The Need to Read

     In "Why Can't She Remember That?" by Terri Meier, Meier explains the need for children to be engaged in reading and not only memorizing the words to certain books but by being able to understand what is happening and why it is happening. She does this by introducing us to certain children such as Marisa, Lindsey, and Lem. And something all three of these children had in common is that they all used forms of vocalization and demonstrated "the ability to use language in powerful ways to negotiate relationships with other people and to accomplish his or her social purposes." However all three used different forms of language. For Marisa she changed her tone from being serious to being friendly or kidding, for Lindsey she quoted a book to get the rice cake she wanted, and for Lem he created a poem off the top of his head to prevent from getting in trouble. But what made all three of these children behave in different ways? Perhaps it was from their family backgrounds and the way they were socialized while growing up.
     In the reading Meier's explained the importance of class room readings, and how different students engage in the reading process. Where as some are amused by the easy-answered questions normally asked by elementary school teachers; children like Gabriella are all but amused with these simplistic questions. And instead of enjoying the book, become bored and uninterested.
     Now while reading this all I could remember was the time I helped out at my cousins school. Now with both of them being born deaf the idea of communication, via the spoken word let alone the written word was always difficult. Since they could not hear it was always harder to explain what certain words meant and it was always harder to engage them in reading. However one during sophomore year I was given the chance to go in and help out in their classroom, and in hopes of becoming an elementary school teacher some day I thought this would be an awesome idea. So as it came time for stories I began to wonder how this teacher is going to read to them let alone get them to understand. For many of them were not used to being read to. But as she began reading she had the children elaborately sign what was happening in the story. And in almost a theatrical way the kids acted out every part of the book. And with this I watched as even my own cousins who barely sat still for five minutes became infatuated with the book.
     And it was from this experience that I realized that reading and story time plays such a huge role in the development of children. Whether they are Black, White, hearing, or deaf, the idea of learning new words and creating a sense of verbal expression is so important in kid's lives. https://www.earlymoments.com/Promoting-Literacy-and-a-Love-of-Reading/Why-Reading-to-Children-is-Important/
    

Black Vs. White: The Educational Dispute

 

Racism: The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.

   

 

     Being in the 21'st century we are very used to the integration of not only black and white students co-existing and co-learning, but we have also become accustomed to their educating teacher counter parts. So why is it that due to "liberalistic" ideas and ways that people of different cultures besides white must feel silenced and unheard? Well in Deplit's "The Silenced Dialogue" shed goes into detail her beliefs of why this is and her experiences within dealing with it.

    In her writing Deplit mentions five different aspects that she calls "The Culture of Power". One that really stood out to me is "Those with power are frequently less aware of-or at least willing to acknowledge- its existence. Those with less power are often more aware of its existence." (Deplit, 24)And this really helped give me a better understanding of what the reading was trying to portray. For instance in a mainly predominant white school, where almost all the educators and students are of white descent, black or any multicultural educator/student would have little say in the way the school was run. And all though many schools believe in the "equal say" policy where everyone is supposed to be able to voice their opinions, people who are not of the majority are often silenced, and usually unknowingly by their fellow co-workers. Another quote that I felt really made this piece came from an upset parent stating "My kid's know how to be black-you all teach them how to be successful in the white man's world." and this continued into the idea that "many of the 'progressive' educational strategies imposed by liberals on black and poor children could only be based on a desire to ensure that the liberals children get sole access to the dwindling pool of American jobs" (Deplit,29)So from this I wonder is it possible that perhaps through silencing the idea's of black or different cultural ideas white liberalists have created an educational system that teaches one not to survive in the world but instead on how to survive in the "white-man's world" and by doing so creates an unfair disadvantage to the children of colored or poor backgrounds. And finally Deplit states that when teaching "Two qualifiers are necessary, however. The teacher cannot be the only expert in the classroom. To deny students their own expert knowledge is to disempower them." (Deplit,33) And by being the only teacher in the room it would enable he or she to have the upper hand, therefor creating a gray area in which knowledge is given to those who are seen as privileged or deserving.

     It is through this idea of empowerment between not only teachers and students but between teachers and fellow teachers that different multi-cultural relationships are strained and people are silenced. If instead people focused more on the ideas of equality among all, then perhaps situations would not be so bad today.

     The following link describes some of the multi-cultural connections between students and their teachers. http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/09/the_teacher_wars_book_provides_more_evidence_that_teachers_of_color_matter.html

All About Me!

     Hello my name is Adam Dutra. I grew up in the small town of Bristol Rhode Island and attended Mt. Hope High School.While there I participated in many clubs and groups such as the school executive board and VAASA (Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse). But my main past time was swimming. All though Rhode Island College does not have a swim team I still manage to swim on my local YMCA team. However when I'm not swimming my favorite hobbies are playing hockey hiking and just relaxing. Currently I am majoring as an elementary education major with a focus in the sciences and hope to someday teach in a local Rode Island School.

New York's Darkest Place

Above: A young boy turns a fire escape into a makeshift home.

     In Jonathon Kozol's Amazing Grace, the reader is introduced to the behind the scenes action of one of New York's toughest cities. From drug use to prostitution to a  being one of the highest concentrated areas of AIDS infested people in New York The Bronx has been battered with the effects of poverty and depression in almost every way.
     While reading this, I realized that I too, have witnessed hardship like this in my own life. Growing up in the quaint town of Bristol Rhode Island I never believed anything was bad. I always felt safe and felt that everyone in Bristol was "good" and I had nothing to worry about. However as I got older I became more aware to my surroundings and began to realize that not everything in this small town was perfect. For we too had the local homeless, the alcoholics, and the cannabis abusers. But it wasn't until I hit high school that I saw just how bad things were. Kids who I had gone to school with since kindergarten were now experimenting with drugs far worse than marijuana. Drugs like cocaine and heroine or hallucinogens like "shrooms" had finally infiltrated the walls and kids were actually dying. Within just a couple years we lost three teenagers due to overdosing. Now that may not seem like a lot but in a small suburban town where everyone knows each other losing three kids due to drugs is three too many. But drugs weren't the only things ruining our small town; For instance the act of prostitution became more prominent, and as of an occurrence last May Bristol's own Colt State Park became an area of complication, when during a Blood's gang cookout a stabbing took place.
     But this leads me to wonder, even through recognizing all of the harsh realities my home town hides, Bristol is nothing but a mediocre speck when it comes to dangerous cities.  And when compared to a place like described in Kozol's writing, I cannot physically understand the hardship that goes in cities like the Bronx or Harlem.
     While reading this chapter I really admired Kozol's writing. I admired the way he integrated his own personal opinion and experiences with the stories told by the many people he met. I really liked this because it helped me understand the extreme hardship that is going on in the other parts of the country.
      One thing I really had to question was idea of social security and welfare. In the case of Ms. Washington I still not comprehend how it was so hard for her to get it. Yes, I understand that today many people abuse and cheat the system to get easy money, but how can a single homeless mother battling two forms of cancer not eligible for SSI? I believe that it through our messed up government that we are just giving money to all the wrong people for all the wrong reasons, and then in return leaving the American citizens who have worked all their lives but are facing hardship to struggle and for themselves.