Sixth visit to my elementary school

      It was a normal day as I walked into the school after being buzzed in. I walked past the kid lined up outside  up the stairs and into the main office. I signed in on my VIPS paper in the VIPS binder and grabbed my visitors pass. I head to my classroom to wait for my students to come in from recess. They pile through the door and line up at the bathroom. The children that have to go take turns while the other who don't go to the back of the time. This goes by quickly the girls are told to enter the classroom first while the boys finish going the bathroom then the boys join the girls. They scurry into the classroom and put their jackets and lunch boxes into the closet and head to the rug.
     The teacher then talks about the story they were just reading before lunch and what they just read to just refresh their memories. She asked them question's about what they have read so far. What I love about this teacher is she make sure everyone participates even the student with autism. Once they went through what they just read she sent them back to their seats and together we started to read the rest of the book. After each page the teacher would ask questions about what they just read. Literally more then half the class almost jumps out of their chairs with their hands in the air ready to answer the question. It's nice to see their enthusiasm for learning. We got through about two pages before the public librarian came to visit our classroom. She is the librarian at the Mount Pleasant library. She was visiting the school to read to the second graders. When she walked through the door all the kid's got so excited. They all recognized her immediately. It was amazing to see how excited they get over reading. She read them a new book that no one has checked out yet. It was about a tracker and how he saved the day. The librarian read with incredible enthusiasm. I wish I could do that, but I guess it takes practice. The kids loved the story. They all sat there quietly and paid perfect attention. Too bad they can't be exactly like that with the teacher. Maybe it's because they have gotten so use to her. When the librarian was done reading her story the children were allowed to ask questions. She answered about ten all together. At the end all the kids kept telling her that they were going to go to the library after school. It was great to see them so excited to read. It's a great ability they should have at that age. It helps them grow and learn. The librarian said bye and the children were sent back to their desks.
    The teacher had a student pass out the worksheet on prefix's. I help two boys  when they arrived back in the classroom. First they had to work on the worksheet then they had to take the four prefix's on the board and figure out which one belongs to the twelve words she wrote up on the board. I helped them get through both exercises very prophetically. They were so proud of themselves. They had a little bit of a hard time sitting still but overall they did pretty good. After that I sent them back to their desk's while another student went around and collected their worksheets. Then the teacher had them rip their spelling homework our of their workbooks like usual and calls the rows one by one by the students who are ready. They grab their bags and jackets. They put their planners, homework, and any other objects from their desk they need to bring home. Then they put their chairs on their desks and went to the carpet. By that time the teacher signed my paper and I waved good bye to the class and head on my way home.
   Overall it was a very productive day. I had a blast working with the kid's and watching them be all excited over learning and reading. I can't wait to see them all again.

Education Is Politics

Shor Education is politics  

Caitlin Rennell

Quotes:

"The participatory classroom is a "free speech" classroom in the best sense, because it invites all expressions from all the students. An empowering class thrives on a lively exchange of thoughts and feelings. The way students speak, feel, and think about any subject is the starting point for a critical study of themselves, their society, and their academic subjects."

This quote means that in classroom children have a freedom of speech to a point. Meaning they can voice their opinions, but not to the point where the class looses control. Also no one's ideas gets shot down. Great classes achieve this by having debates and active communication and exchange of ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Letting the kids like I said voice how they feel and whats on their minds. Their feelings on subjects is what helps them grow and learn. This connects to the reading because freedom of speech is a political term. In other words is part of the political side of things. This whole article is about the political aspect of education and how it is an a way education. 

"To many people, the very idea of regaining any real control over social institutions and personal development is abstract and "nonsensical." In general . . . many people do see society's economic, social, and educational institutions as basically self-directing, with little need for their participation and with little necessity for them to communicate and argue over the ends and means of these same institutions."

This quote means that people see us as a society to be independent in all aspects, with little help from the people themselves. This contributes to the reading because it talks about the political part of education and how people don't believe they need to contribute or fight  for the institutions. Also that us as a society are very independent when it comes to economics, social, and educational. This connects to the whole reading because of its political views. 

"As teachers see other teachers and student experimenting, more may be encouraged to test participatory empowerment in their own classrooms, and in the process promote the positive emotions that students need in order to embrace critical and democratic learning as the politics of their education."

This quote means that as teachers and students experimenting it will help in their own classroom for them to encourage positive emotions aka having the students be happy and having fun. This will help them embrace the critical and democratic learning as well as the politics in their education. It's in other words important to embrace everything as a teacher and student in your learning. This contributes to the reading  because it connects again to the politics in a classroom and how you have to embrace it.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share

I'm not sure what to make of this reading. It was a different view on education that is for sure. It showed how education has to do with politics. Theres a lot of things I didn't realize till I read this article. It was pretty easy to read, but a little hard to understand at some parts, but for the most part it was a good read. There is so much to take in. It relates to the other tests we have read because it talks about media  and how it affects education, as well as other things. How is it possible for politics to be apart of every part of our society today?

Schooling Children with Down Syndrome

Christopher Kliewer Citizenship in School                                                                         Caitlin Rennell

Quotes:

"How absurd to be judged by other 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."

This quote means that us as human its in our nature to judge without even thinking, but its ridiculous that we judge others at all. Its worse when someone who is perfectly normal and hasn't ever had a disability before to sit there and judge you and not support  you or listen to what you have to say or get to no you for who you are. This contributes to the article as a whole because its about disabilities and how we treat them so differently. We don't even really get to no them. We walk past them in the hall like they don't even matter. 

"Knock it off! Knock it off! Becky is a girl who has cerebral palsy.... She's not allowed in school because of her handicaps. I think her school should just knock it off and let her in.

        She needs an education. just because she is handicapped doesn't mean she can't learn. She's just got to do what she can do, which can be just about anything.

        Becky is smart enough to fight back, just like I would if I wasn't allowed in school. I have Down syndrome and I can still do anything I want to do. If I wasn't allowed in school, I wouldn't have learned to do all the things I so now. I have Down syndrome, but I am not handicapped."

This quote was written by Christine who writes a weekly column called "Christine's Corner".  This is a part of her column about a school's districts refusal to allow a student with cerebral palsy to enroll in a non-segragated school. It talks about this girl Becky who just happens to have cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a condition marked by impaired muscle coordination and/or other disabilities, typically caused by damage to the brain before or at birth. Her school wouldn't allow her to enroll because of her disability. That to me is totally unfair. Just because she was born with a disability, which by the way she can't help doesn't make her any less smart then the students you do let in. Christina also talks about how she has Down syndrome and if she wasn't allowed to go to school because of it she'd fight back because if she hadn't been allowed to learn she wouldn't be who she is and where she is now. The last part is the most powerful "I have Down syndrome, but I am not handicapped" to me thats incredible and very true. Having a disorder does not make a person handicap and a lot of people today misunderstand that.

"[Community] requires a willingness to see people as they are --- different perhaps in their minds and in their willingness and ability to contribute to the mosaic of society. It requires the "helper" to have the humility to listen for what the person says he or she needs. Also, the "helper" must see that the interaction "helps" both ways.

This quote was said by judith Snow who holds that the dialogic of democracy is ultimately a set of values based on respect, humility, and creative listening. It means that us as people have a desire to see individuals for who they are. Though they maybe be different in their opinions and learning their will to care and ability to contribute or give to our society.When someone gives to or help a person with a disability they need to be able to listen  to what the person needs and realize that interactions help in multiple ways. This contributes to the article as a whole because this article is about Down Syndrome and this quote says that just because a person has a disability doesn't mean that it makes them who they are. People who don't have a disability treat people who do differently, but really they are just like us. 

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:

This reading was very easy to read, but at the same time very inspirational. It gives you a view on how we treat people who have a disorder or birth defect something they really cant help. It horrifies me that we act like they are handicap when they aren't. All they want is acceptance and to be treated just like the rest of us and if a school isn't going to let them have an education because of their disorder then thats messed up. They are people just like us and the privilege of learning shouldn't be taken away from them. It does relate to the other texts we read because it shows privilege and how people who are in our society are "normal" are privileged while the people with disorder's make them outsiders when really they are just like us. My question is why would a school not let a child into school just because she has cerebral palsy? and how could we be so cruel and not notice?

Fifth Visit to my Elementary School

Going to my fourth was the usually routine signing into the VIPS binder and grabbing a guess pass then heading to my classroom. When I'm in my classroom its so natural like I'm suppose to be there. I love working with all the kid's. I wish I went everyday. This visit in particular they finally changed it up. They came in from recess and did the same bathroom routine then went into the classroom and put all their stuff away in the closet the teacher calls it. Then they sat on the carpet like usual and the teacher went over what they were doing in class that day. They where in partners and/or groups doing science. They had little books that they had to read in their groups then write in their OWN words what they just read. This was a very good lesson for the kid's to find out a way to write what they learned in their reading without plagiarizing. I sat with two of the groups to help keep them focused because they are a little chatty. They wrote notes very well then even drew some pictures. My groups where learning about the stars, planets, moon, and sun. Other groups where learning about weather changes and storms like tornados. After they finished their science they passed their science notebooks into the teacher who will correct them later. Then they were sent back to their seats where they took out their grammar books. Today they were going over Pronouns such as he, she, it, we, they, you. Then they went through the three activities that came with pronouns. Then they put their grammar books away and took out their literacy notebooks where they took notes on suffix and went through what they were and examples of them are. Then when they were done with that they put that away and took out their workbook and ripped out their homework like usual and went and back up their stuff. Then put up their chairs on the desks and went to the rug. The teacher asked them questions till the bell rang. That was my Que to leave before all the kid's trampled me to leave. It was a fun day and I loved how the teacher changed up the activities for a nice change. That was my fifth visit.

Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Schooling

Jean Anyon Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Schooling  

Caitlin Rennell

Quotes: 

"It's no surprise that schools in wealthy communities are better than those in poor communities, or that they better prepare their students for desirable jobs. It may be shocking, however, to learn how vast the differences in schools are - not so much in resources as in teaching methods and philosophies of education"
This quote means that schools located in wealthier communities are better and more equipped with materials for the children because they can afford everything they need to make sure the students have a good education. Then there are the poor communities who cant afford what the wealthier ones can. They have limited materials as well. Making it harder to prepare their students for desirable jobs compared to the wealthier communities who can give their students a good education. The most shocking is that the differences are not really in the resources but the teaching. This means that the poorer the community the less the teachers try. This ties into the reading as a whole because this whole article is about the differences in schools from the upper, middle and lower classes, and how its not the resources, but the hidden curriculum.

"These differences may not only contribute to the development in the children in each social class of certain types of economically significant relationships and not others but would thereby help to reproduce this system of relations in society. In the contribution to the reproduction of unequal social relations lies a theoretical meaning and social consequence of classroom practice."
This quote means that the differences between classes not only contributes to the learning and development of the children in the social classes, but would also help to reproduce the system of relations in society.  In the contribution of unfair differences between classes lies a a hidden meaning and bad consequences in the classroom. Saying these differences are affecting the learning of children in the classroom and that these differences contribute to the unequal classes. This ties into the reading as a whole because this whole article is about the differences in classes and how it affects the students and how unfair it is to have such a significant difference between the classes.

"Scholars in political economy and the sociology of knowledge have recently argued that public schools in complex industrial societies like our own make available different types of educational experience and curriculum knowledge to students in different social classes."
This quote means that public schools offer more of a variety of education, such as vocational schools, which give you hands on experience for your craft. Also it expands learning and gives students a choice of what they want to learn. Public schools also expand the curriculum in every social class for all the students. Public schools in other worlds make it so that there really isn't a huge difference in the classes, but instead gives them different experiences and knowledge. This ties into the article as a whole because it shows that though there are huge differences in social classes having a medium like public schools help even though a lot of the upper class believe they are too good for public schools, believe it or not public schools are just as good and in some cases better. 


Questions/ Comments/ Points:

This was a good article. It opened my eyes to how some teachers treat their students of different privilege. Everyone should be able to have an equal education no matter there class or where they go to school. It was very interesting to see how schools of lower classes work compared to private schools made up of the upper classes work. It seems to me that children who pay more get more education, but is that really fair. What about the children who cant afford an amazing school shouldn't they get a good education too? Teachers can play an important role in their students life. They are the main source of education. Its up to them to fill the children with knowledge. When the teachers show positive reinforcement to their students' work, the student will begin to feel more confident.  They are the ones who decided whether the child is getting a good education or a bad education. 

Fourth Visit to my Elementary School

Theres not much to say about this visit it was very similar to the past three time I have visited. I walked through the door walked up to the main office and signed in on my VIPS sheet. Then grabbed my visitor pass and headed to my classroom. Only to find out my teacher went home for the afternoon, so the kids were getting split up. We got them back to the classroom and had them get all their stuff ready and put their chairs on the desks. A few older kids help bring the kids to their separate classrooms. Three children to each classroom. After all the children where separated and brought to each of their classrooms, I followed the last group to their classroom. I got to experience being in a third grade classroom, which was different in many ways. In the end though I was mostly working with my kids because the teacher wasn't expecting me. I love seeing the smiles on their faces every time they see me. I cant wait to see them again, but they have vacation next week, so sadly I have to wait a week before I see their smiling faces again.

Third Visit to my Elementary School

Going back to my elementary school  for a third time seems like a routine already. I just started walking there instead of driving. Its great exercise. Walking in to the building feels so natural like I'm meant to be there. Knowing that I get to go and make someones education that much better makes what I do well worth it. I love walking through the door seeing their faces just light up. This visit one of the little girls complimented me on hair she was so cute. Like I explained before Im not a reading buddy, I get to work with the whole class, which for me broadens my experience. I get to experience all different types of students and how they learn. I get to help a knew group of kids each visit it seems. They all learn at different speeds and levels. I learn so much from just watching the teacher I work with. She's a huge inspiration for me. When it's my turn to become a teacher I want to be just like her, but a little more organized I hope. 
    When I walked into the school the children were still in recess, so I signed in, grabbed the visitor pass, and walked down to the classroom to wait for the children. While waiting in the hall next to the classroom door I got the chance to observe all the work on the wall. There was work from the students of all different grades, as well as posters that have saying on them such as "success starts with believing in yourself" or "Who you are begins with what you do." They came in shortly after and did their usual routine of lining up at the bathroom. Girls go first then the boys. Yes they use the same bathroom, but know not at the same time. Then when everyone is finished they head into the classroom and like I said before put their jackets and lunch boxes away. 
     They all went to the carpet like usual. This week the teacher reviewed the work they learned the passed two days because she has been at meetings so she's missed the last two days. They were learning about Helen Keller and her life as someone who was blind and deaf. The kids seemed to have a pretty good grasp of her. While the teacher was talking to the children I got to correct some of the kids work on Helen Keller. It was pretty cool seeing examples of work they have to do.  When she was through talking to them about Helen Keller she tells them to go back into the story about Helen in their reading books and answer the three questions at the end of the story. She then sent them back to their desks.
    She picked three students for me to to work with. She chose these three because they can speak great ideas, but when it comes to getting them all down on paper is a whole different story. I got to help them take what they speak and put it into words. They are extremely intelligent and know exactly what they are talking about.  We talked about the answer first then I had them tell me what they were going to write and thats where they got lost. So I came up with an example and they started writing. They did incredibly well, sometimes a little nudge in the right direction makes all the difference.
    When everyone was done with all the questions they were sent back to their desks. They had to get their spelling homework out to take home. I passed out papers for them to take home to their parents while another student passed back corrected work. Then I had the teacher sign my paper and watched the kids get ready putting their jackets on and pack their bags, as well as putting their chairs onto of their desks. Then I say goodbye to all the kids and walk back to the office sign out and put the guest pass back. I walk back to campus. I cant wait to see my kids again next week. 

Teaching Boys and Girls Separately

Teaching Boys and Girls Separately by Elizabeth Weil                                   Caitlin Rennell

Quotes:
"Even if one could prove that sending a kid off to his or her own school based on religion or race or ethnicity or gender did a little but better job of raising the academic skills for workers in the economy, there's also the issue of trying to create tolerant citizens in democracy."
This quote was said by Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation. He brings up the fact that even though it may improve scores it will also take away from a lot of other experiences that come with having a coed school. Like Richard said issues of trying to create tolerant citizens in democracy are something that can not be overlooked just to improve learning. There has to be another way. This also contributes to the reading because it takes the take about teaching boys and girls separately and how it will improve scores, but theres more components to that decision that some people are not seeing like how it takes away from other things that only coed schools can do.

"While there's some dispute over whether there's an ongoing education crisis for white, middle-class boys, there's no doubt that public schools are failing poor minority students in general and poor minority boys in particular."
This quote has to do with our other readings and SCWAAMP and privileged.  It talks about being white, middle class, males and how the minority students are failing, but not only the poor minority students specifically boys. It shows how your gender and class contribute to your education. Despite six years of No Child Left Behind this is still a problem between rich and poor students and white and black students have not significantly. This contributes to the rest of the reading because it brings up another reason why boys fail more then girls.

"Boys are active, girls are passive. Boys should go out and have jobs, girls should stay home and have babies."
This quote is very popular and I'm sure you've heard of it time and time again. Back in the day people use to believe that men would go to work while the women would stay home and have babies. No or days thats not true at all. Girls are more independent with careers. I believe in know time at all we will have a women president. This quote was pretty much said by Dr. Sax. This quote contributes to the rest of the article because it brings up the fact that times have change and now more girls are succeeding while boys are slacking when it comes to education. Like the quote says boys are active so seating in a desk all day really isn't their thing. While girls are passive to they are able to sit there for long hours.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:
Before reading this article I wouldn't have ever thought about the difference in learning between boys and girls. I wouldn't actually even consider separate public schools for genders. I still am for coed's, but it's defiantly a different view on this problem. I feel like to separate the genders though may be good for schools scoring it would take away from so many other things that help us as students become tolerant citizens. Boys use to be the higher gender, but no or days it seems that girls are more serious about their education then guys are.  I found it interesting that boys make up two thirds of special education.  My question is why boys are what makes up the most of special education? Overall this was a very interesting reading and it opened my eyes up to a different views on education between genders.