Empowering Education

“Empowering Education” by Ira Shor                                                       By: Ruby Lazo

1. “Piaget urged a reciprocal relationship between teachers and students, where respect for the teacher coexisted with cooperative and student-centered pedagogy.”

It is crucial to students that they are able to develop a fair, equal, respectful relationship with their teachers. For a student to reach optimal learning, teachers must first be able to focus in on their students learning styles, interest, weaknesses and strengths.

2. “The teacher leads and directs this curriculum, but does so democratically with the participation of the students, balancing the need for structure with the need for openness.”

In this article students had a voice when it came to their education. Rather than the teacher taking over the classroom, students incessantly participated in their education.

3. “What students bring to class is where learning begins. It starts there and goes places" Learning first begins from outside the classroom. It is important to a students learning that they are able to relate to the material. Students are interested and care about what’s going on around them. Change starts with education.

This article focused deeply on classroom structure as well as inquiry-based learning. In this article, the classroom environment allowed children to feel safe to ask questions, learn from one another and explore different ideas and opinions.

I could really relate to this article because I went to The Met high school. The Met high school really focuses on empowering students to ask questions, share ideas and advocate for themselves and their education.

I was recently talking to someone from AmeriCorp who worked with students in an after-school program. We began discussing how classrooms are producing people without thoughts. I know this sounds silly but its true. 

In classrooms today, students are taught through test-based curriculums, where they quickly learn that the only thing that matters is the right answer. Through this style of teaching, students’ ideas and thoughts aren’t challenged. They begin to stop questioning, to stop critically thinking, to stop analyzing and to stop thinking. 

Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrom

“Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome.”          By: Ruby Lazo

by Christopher Kliewer

1. “The challenge is to erase negative attitudes about people with developmental disabilities, get rid of the stereotypes and break the barriers for people with disabilities”.

Throughout history society has held many misconceptions when it comes to people with either physical or mental disabilities. Because of these misconceptions we have allowed ourselves to disvalue and shun, truly capable, bright and gifted people.                    

2. “Dialogue cannot occur… between those who deny others the right to speak their word and those who’s right to speak has been denied.”

This quote pertains to the significance of having a voice in society. Those who have been oppressed and deprived of their right to have a say in their communities must reclaim their natural rights as citizens and individuals. For there to be true change in society, it is essential that everyone’s voice is heard and represented.

3. “[Community] requires a willingness to see people as they are – different perhaps in their minds and in their bodies, but not different in their spirits or in their willingness and ability to contribute to the mosaic of society.”

A true society entails for everyone to be equal. Communities are made up of many different people and we must learn how to accept and value differences to create an idyllic community.                     

The article “Citizenship in School” really reminded me about the harsh inequalities people with disabilities have to deal with. I am always reading or discussing the social inequalities that come with class, race and gender but a lot of times I forget about all the other isms that live within our society.

I think a lot of us forget just how able people with disabilities are. We fall into the traps of ignorance once we believe the stereotypes and derogatory names that are the foundation to discrimination and hate. We must not judge people based on the labels we give them or even their inabilities, but rather on their talents and who they are as a person. 

J. Crew Ad With Boy Painting Toenails Pink Stirs Up Transgender Debate - ABC News

J. Crew Ad With Boy Painting Toenails Pink Stirs Up Transgender Debate - ABC News

Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work

“Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work.”                         By: Ruby Lazo 

by Jean Anyon

1. “Simple punctuation is all they’ll ever use”

An observer at the “working class” school quoted a teacher saying this. How are students supposed to succeed when their teachers don’t believe in them enough to teach them anything beyond “simple punctuation”?

2. “”Shut up, “Shut your mouth,” “Open your books,” “Throw your gum away – if you want to rot your teeth, do it on your own time.””

These were disciplinary examples noted by observers in the “working class” schools. As future educators were supposed to create a safe learning environment for students, by respecting and empowering them, not by belittling them. Statements like these turn once determined, talented students into discouraged, broken young adults. 

3. “These children’s opinions are important – it’s important that they learn to reason things through”

This is a quote from one of the teachers from the “executive elite school”. It is great that a teacher validates his or her students, but why are these students’ opinions valued while others continue to be disregarded?                        

While reading this article it became very apparent just how easy it would be for a student who isn’t getting an “executive elite” education to just fall through the cracks. Students in the “working class” schools were continuously deprived of important opportunities while students in the “executive elite” schools were given invaluable tools and skills for their futures. What was most disheartening was the self-realization that the students in the “working class” schools were being set up for failure while the students in the “executive elite” schools were being set up to be future executive officers and politicians.

Why is it that we believe that every child has the potential to be successful, yet our education system continuously denies certain students their right to an equal education? Is there anything being done to change this?

Teaching Boys and Girls Separately

“Teaching Boys and Girls Separately.”
By Elizabeth Weil            By: Ruby Lazo               

1. “Researchers found girls’ drawings typically depict still life’s of people, pets or flowers, using 10 or more crayons, favoring warm colors like red, green, beige and brown; boys, on the other hand, draw action, using  6 or fewer colors, mostly cool hues like gray, blue, silver and black.”

I think we should begin analyzing research more in depth. This quote is trying to prove that there are fundamental academic differences between boy and girls. However, I feel that a lot of this research directly connects with our society and how we hold different expectations for girls and boys, and through those expectations we nurture them differently. While we give girls pink note books and crayons we give boys blue, red and black cars and action figures. Although there might be a direct biological difference between learning styles I believe that a lot of it has been influenced by us.   

2. “What kind of message does it give when you tell a group of kids that boys and girls need to be separated because they don’t even see or hear alike?"

I especially liked this quote. Separating children based upon a 50 year old study that states adult men and women see and hear different is completely shameful. Why would we want to separate children because of their seemingly insignificant differences?

3. “There are just too many exceptions to the rule”.

I very much agree with this quote. Gender is much more complicated than we make it out to be. Not everyone is going to neatly fit into a boy or girl category and a lot of us definitely do not fit neatly into our gender roles (masculine or feminine). There are many kids that fall somewhere between the socially constructed boxes that are biological sex, gender identity and gender expression. So what will then happen to those kids?

While reading this article, I found myself offended by some of the things that were said and written. For example: how the students were depicted in Michelle Gay’s fourth grade classroom during a “tide science experiment”. We live in a society where we should just stop separating each other by our differences; biological or not. We should be able learn how to interact and accept others differences weather they are spiritual, cultural or biological. One of the most powerful things about learning is to be able to see and learn things through multiple perspectives.    

A Particularly Cheap White Wine

“A Particularly Cheap White Wine: Racism, Scholarships and the Manufacturing of White Victimhood”.
By: Tim Wise                                                        By: Ruby Lazo

1. “It will mean that colleges will become increasingly populated with white students whose SAT scores might be mightily impressive, but whose moral and ethical compasses, to say nothing of their understanding of the real world, leave something just as mighty to be desired.”

College’s accepting their students based on just one aspect will leave them shamefully lacking in others. If colleges were to begin just accepting students with the highest SAT scores, they would be doing a disservice to their college. Yes, these students may have the highest SAT scores but who are they as a person, how much effort do they put into their work, how will they represent their college… Shouldn’t those qualities hold some importance to college admissions? 

2. “The manufacturing of white victimhood”.

I have never heard this term before but it fits this article perfectly: white men and women victimizing themselves.

3. “Race-based scholarships for people of color are the worst form of bigotry confronting America today.”

I was in shock reading this quote. I could not believe someone would ever think to say something like this. If we continue to allow remarks like that to be said then these statements will unfortunately become more and more common in our society and soon people will begin to think that they hold truth.

This was one of my favorites articles we have read so far. The author did a great job defending his arguments. I was extremely shocked by some of the facts and statements I read. I could not believe what ignorant things people will think, say and do.

I wonder how the President of the College of Republicans at Boston University would respond to this.