Race and internet fame...

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/05/07/charles_ramsey_amanda_berry_rescuer_becomes_internet_meme_video.html

I know class is over and the gender unit was forever ago, but...

I love Jackson Katz.   He was the first male gender studies major at UMass Amherst, and he's a badass feminist who travels the country talking about gender-based violence. I've seen him speak at BC twice about gender violence and just found his TED talk. So if you are looking to procrastinate during finals, he has a really cool talk that incorporates gender violence, dominance, linguistics and a whole bunch of other cool stuff.

Group 5 Questions

(I don't know if we had to post questions this week, but here they are, just in case)


As this class comes to an end, we are asked to think about our "endgame". As educators, what is our objective, what is our responsibility to our students? As I was working on my final project, this question presented itself multiple times, and despite all the research and hours of thought, I have found no easy answer. The article by James Baldwin (1962) discusses many of the inequalities in our educational system. He points out that our society moves along a predetermined path where we are expected to pass certain stages in order to succeed. This "formula for success" is unfortunately only accessible to a small percentage of our society. Statistics show it. People form minority groups and from a low SES perform more poorly in school and in standardized assessments. Yet another problem, that I also analyzed in my final project, is that our current education undeniably favors certain intelligences over others. A selection of fortunate students possess the favored intelligences, but others' are neglected and undervalued. The latter's case creates an even wider divide between the student body. The question we as educators have to face is, therefore, two-fold:

1). What can we do to decrease the gap between the students who possess the tools for success and those who are deprived of them? How much can we do?

2). Should our endgame be to ease students' path through the "formula for success" and perpetuate the current educational system, or should we find a way to challenge this system that consistently pushes a significant percentage of students out of the race for success?

In the second question, our goodwill leans us towards the second option. But now we must ask ourselves how we can challenge a system so ingrained in our society. What tools do we need to change our social contexts and build a successful pathway towards social l justice?

Group 2 E-Handout (Gender)

This American Life

27 students at Harper High School were shot in one year.  Do you think it is possible to focus on seemingly "trivial" things like math, science and reading when survival is a real every day issue?  This reminds me of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  If physiological needs aren't first met it is impossible to get to the top of the pyramid where higher level and more privileged thinking takes place.  Do you think it is possible to educate kids living in such violent areas?

There is a lot of discussion about why schools are failing students, especially schools like Harper High School in Chicago.  However, do you think that it is really the fault of the school that students are struggling?  If not, where is the problem?  On the street?  In the family?  In the government?  Laws? In people's views and perceptions and stereotypes?  I listen to this episode of This American Life and I hear a lot of good things that are being done inside Harper High School.  So, do you think it is an education issue or a problem on a larger scale?

"Do you know what it's like to carry weight?" was a question that was asked in episode one.  A lot of these students are carrying baggage that weighs on their lives, minds and mental and physical health.  I teach in a private high school and I wonder if a lot of the kids in my school know what it is like to carry weight when they complain about going to bed late because of too much homework or their mom packed the wrong lunch.  I wonder what the right amount of weight to carry is.  Is there a balance and why is it that some kids, like the ones at Harper, seem to be carrying so much more than kids in other places?

-Tim Broderick

WBC Documentaries

I meant to post these last week, but then Friday happened, and I was glued to the TV.

My roommate is really into watching documentaries, and she and I curled up to watch these two documentaries on the "Westboro Baptist Church." Most of us have probably heard of this "religious group" that preaches hatred in America.  What strikes me most about these documentaries is the attitudes that shift between the first and second documentaries when some younger members leave the family church.  Check out their completely changed opinions and their families' attitudes toward them.

This popped into my head because they recently tweeted/published a great deal of information about the Boston Marathon Bombings as "God's punishment for gay marriage."

Very offensive language, FYI.

1. Most Hated Family in America Documentary

2. Most Hated Family in America in Crisis

When I was complaining about this cult to my younger brother, his response was, "Maggie, you know they have every legal right to do this, don't you?" DO THEY? Nonphysical violence is okay? Offensive language and slurs and praising acts of terrorism is okay? Thoughts?

-Maggie

If "heterophobia" were real...

I came across this video last night, and I sat down and watched the whole thing. It's pretty upsetting at many points, but it sheds light on a topic we discussed recently in a new way.

Article:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/aaronporchia/if-heterophobia-was-real-93w2

Youtube video:
"All you need is love?"

Here's our tumblr

Hey everyone!
Here's the link to our tumblr. Let us know if you have any questions for us!

http://socialcontexts.tumblr.com/

Group 3 Questions: Harper

Hi guys! Sorry these are late this week! I wanted to do them yesterday but I had a few appointments to get to. Hope everything is going well.

1. After listening to just a few minutes of "This American Life," it is obvious to me that the administrators and teachers have a positive and interesting way of interacting with students, particularly the assistant principal. It is mentioned that he is willing to meet with students immediately that he does not know to find out if they are gang-affiliated or offers to pick students up at their homes before schools to improve their attendance. What is surprising to me is that the student is willing to respond honestly, so much so to explain which other gangs are affiliated with his. How do students become this comfortable with their teachers/administrators? Would your students explain the people with whom they are "cliqued up" even if those people may be dangerous? What can we as educators do to create an environment safe enough for students to be that honest? If gangs are the dominant culture in the school, how do we help them to be individuals when they are used to being a part of a dominant group?

2. How do we help students to feel a part of the social structure if they avoid the dominant culture? In the high school I went to, this was something as simple as the students deciding not to drink on the weekends. In this case, it may be a student deciding to be anti-gang when it seems that all others are. Because education is so much more than academics, what are some strategies to foster social acceptance even if beliefs differ?

3. Much like in the case of Devonte, it seems to be that the social workers in the school are the ones who have decided to discuss the tragedy of his brother's death, while "nobody talks about it" at home. Is it the school's job to talk to students and help students through tragic processes? How much is too much, or is it never too much? Does being a successful educator mean being as involved as possible, even when students may not want to talk?

Why I hate school but love education

Learning is about relationships in context. Methods and strategies have their place, but don't forget that when we focus more on rigid content than the lives and contexts of our young people, we have well and truly lost not just the plot but also opportunities to have education lift rather than oppress.

See you Thursday, Leigh.

Group 6 Questions

1. Coming from the stereotypical white, suburban town/high school, I can't really relate with the teachers and students that attend/attended Harper High School. The only form of violence that made its way into the school would be the occasional fight in the hall way. While I was a sophomore, a student that was an upperclassman died suddenly and the school was severely impacted by his death. It was as if the school day stopped and we were on a vacation from schoolwork for weeks. The teachers didn't want to go "too far" or push the students too hard in the weeks following his death for the fear of depression, stress, etc. Like this past week in Boston, the atmosphere of the school was completely different than normal. Teachers felt that it was better to tend to the students' needs rather than move on and continue with their every day schedules. Looking at Harper High School, where 29 students were shot and 8 killed, how would you handle the atmosphere of your classroom? Would you ask students to share emotions, thoughts, etc. or would you move on through the school days as if nothing had happened?

2. Ira Glass stated that when students are reprimanded at Harper High School, they're reprimanded with love. Do you think this effects the students in a positive way or a negative way? Do you think this aspect has something to do with the students being effected by the violence?

3. While reading the transcript, it made me think of the movie Freedom Writers and how the students in the class witnessed and were a part of violence every day. They were victims of gang violence and would only hang out with "people of their own color." The teacher (Hilary Swank) was able to engage the students and create a classroom where the students felt safe regardless of their home situations. If you taught at a school like Harper High School, how would you create a classroom environment where students felt safe? How would you handle what was going on outside of class? Would you incorporate it into your curriculum like Hilary Swank did in Freedom Writers?

Group 4 Questions: Harper

1. Much of the program focused on what was being done outside the classroom to help support students work through emotional issues and gang violence. I was curious what the Harper teachers were doing inside the classroom to support their students. (We only got a glimpse of one teacher who kicked a student out for taking two cookies). What can we do as classroom teachers to help our students through emotional trauma while also covering the course material? I think of this particularly in light of last week's Boston Marathon bombings and the traumatic lockdown on Friday. Thankfully, we weren't in school but how do we address such events now that we are back? There was a frantic conversation among teachers Monday morning as to how they were going to address last week in our classes. The administration didn’t provide any clear direction for us. Should they have? I realize in writing this question how lucky I am that I have only been forced to grapple with this issue once in my teaching career when the Harper community has to address violence numerous times throughout the school year.

2. It was amazing to me how much the staff-Principal Sanders, Crystal Smith, Anita Stewart, and others--knew of Harper knew about their students outside of school. How do you get to know your students at the beginning of the school year? How much would you be able to tell about their outside lives at this point in the school year? Has this article changed your perception of how much you should know about your students’ lives outside of school?

3. Before the football and homecoming dance, Principal Sanders was "disappointed that more Harper staff d[idn’t] agree to stay late to act as security." Do you think this is fair of Principal Sanders? To what extent are/should teachers be responsible for their students outside of the classroom, particularly in dangerous neighborhoods like Harper when they have families of their own (like Anita)?

4. My worry is for the students once they leave Harper where they get incredible support and encouragement from the staff. Further, I was overwhelmed by the cycle of violence that has been repeated in the neighborhood for over twenty years (and probably more) according to the book There Are No Children Here. How does a society break this cycle of violence which is affecting children as young as 10? How can kids get out of this neighborhood where they are automatically placed in a gang based on the street they live on? What do WE do now that we have listened to this program and know what is happening in schools like Harper in Chicago and around the country. I think of bell hooks’ call for engagement and activism.

Group 2

When I was a Freshman at BC, a senior girl was shot and killed in her home at my old High School. The school and town was rocked, and even now, three years later, that day and moment are a large touchstone in our community. Since this type of violence is such a rarity where I come from, I can hardly imagine violence on the scale that it is at Harper High School. These students are somehow finding normalcy in a no win situation. How would this type of violence affect the school and community you were raised in? In what ways does this speak to our privilege and the uneven circumstances for young Americans in school?


In what ways does the staff of Harper High School try to fight against the culture surrounding their students? How effective have their efforts been? What lessons can we, as future educators, take from this profile and use as we enter communities where safety is not easily attained and students and parents are so guided by fear that the classroom is no longer their priority? How do we set these students up for not only survival, but success?

Group 5 Discussion

1)    How can we be more like the teachers at Harper High School, who are able to support and motivate their students despite the high mortality rate, the violence of gangs, and everything else that is going on in their lives?

2)    In light of the problems involving street gangs and cliques, how can we maintain schools as a safe haven and a place that is free of violence?  If we cannot get rid of gangs, how do we make these gangs like those at Harper High School and the Hallway Hangers into gangs more like the Brothers in Ain’t No Makin’ It?  If we can hope for the “fairy tale”, how do we help break the systems of gangs and allow children to be more like “neutrons”, who can choose their own friend, not be involved in violence, and feel comfortable enough to walk by themselves?

3)    Crystal Smith, a social worker, alternates between speaking about lighter and darker subjects with Devonte, who accidentally shot his younger brother, in order to help him open up.  She also talks to his mother.  How can we help our own students get through their own traumatic experiences, whether they are personal or more general?  How do we help them achieve some degree of normalcy at school if they cannot find it at home?

4)    How do we help students stay focused on their academics and their extracurricular activities despite everything else that is going on in their life?  How do we help students enjoy “normal high school activities”?

5)    As a teacher, how do you deal with the fear that a traumatic event is ultimately going to happen, but you cannot prevent it?

As promised, Mackelmore's Same Love

http://youtu.be/hlVBg7_08n0

Website for Group 5 Presentation

Hello Everybody!

Here is the website that we created last week:  http://socialcontextsdiversity.weebly.com/

You can check out the activities that we shared last week and other ones that we did not get a chance to.  We hope you enjoyed our presentation and found it useful.

Hope you are having a good Thursday!

Group 5

Group 4 Discussion Prompts

Sorry for the delay, had a run-in with food poisoning late Monday night! Anyway, here are the questions for consideration:

I've had my name mispronounced on various occasions, although I cannot remember any particular instance in school. However, people commonly misspell it as “Kieth” which frustrates me, but I also understand that it’s a linguistic thing. What is your attachment to your name? Are you upset when people misspell or mispronounce it? Do you have that issue if you are of primarily European descent going through a Eurocentric school system? Is there also a cultural connection to names that may or may not be present in dominant culture?

To what degree should teachers (of any race or background) be responsible for correctly pronouncing a student’s name? Any teacher, not just those from a dominant culture, would struggle with orthographies and phonetics that they have had limited exposure to. However, a teacher also should not single a student out over his or her name with comments like ‘Ooh, this name is hard to say!’ or ‘Your name is very long, do you have a nickname?’” (Kohli & Solórzano 2012, 8). What are some ways around this? What other ways can we help to avoid racial microagression altogether and “create classrooms where all children feel safe, visible, valued and celebrated” (5)?

Studenting is something we’re all familiar with. In her piece “There’s learning and then there’s schooling”, Leigh explores the stories of immigrant students in Mr. Knox’s class. In examining the case of one female student, she writes, “She had adapted her knowledge and skills to suit what she thought the teacher was looking for. This makes her a good student but not necessarily a learner in this particular situation. In fact, being a good student requires learning the style and expectations of the teacher” (8). How do we, as teachers, prepare students to face expectations, rules, and other requirements without forcing them into a role of student over learner? Is there a way to balance our practice so that we focus on the learning process rather than the end result of student work? What are some ways that we might promote learning for the sake of learning and growing, and also challenge student to demonstrate what they really know versus what they think we want them to know?

And last, because I like it, I'm stealing Maggie's questions from below (for a little sharing in class):

- What would you consider a success in teaching?
- What is a failure in teaching?
- What is your number one reason for going into education?
- What is your biggest fear going into education?

Group 2 Discussion Questions and Points

Hey friends, sorry this is arriving late - I was home for the day yesterday taking care of some stuff and completely blanked on posting until 1am in bed!!
I have some questions and comments that I hope will stimulate discussion.

1. We learned a lot about our classmates and what they've been through with the privilege line exercise last week.  I feel a mixed bag of emotions coming out of that.  First: school and educational experience is not the same for everyone, and not everyone feels safe or happy at school.  Second: I voiced my own personal reaction to the exercise in class - one of guilt.  Having reflected on that admission, I'm not entirely sure guilt is the right word.  I feel a similar frustration to what I wrote about in my reflection paper.  How can I attempt to change the way students experience education without becoming that "white savior teacher?"  Leigh mentioned to me that the desire to "save" is a sort of determining factor, and I don't want to save anyone, but I do want to foster an environment where students feel safe.  How as we as educators do this in our classrooms?  How will our one classroom shape a student's entire education? Can it? How much can we do?

[I know there's a lot going on in that paragraph, but because I wrote the number one, I feel compelled to ask another question.]

2. This set is more personal and reflective:
- What would you consider a success in teaching?
- What is a failure in teaching?
- What is your number one reason for going into education?
- What is your biggest fear going into education?
I passionately want to share my love of literature and education and I hope that at least some of my students will be exposed to a subject they love and want to pursue. I want my students to feel confident in their abilities to be good students, but also good people. I'm terrified that I might be a "bad teacher" and fail to connect with and inspire my students to pursue their passions.


-Maggie

Group 5 Discussion Questions

1. Our class and our discussions within it have certainly raised a certain level of awareness regarding privilege within the United States. Regardless of where we come from and who we are, we are privileged as teachers to have platform that influences our future. Have our class discussions and the information we have learned thus far influenced your educational philosophy? Have they influenced how you envision your classroom in terms of how it operates or in terms of the content you teach? If you are in a classroom currently, has it already influenced it? If so, how? If not, are there any ways you wish to incorporate the ideas from this class into your teaching style?

2. Within our class, everyone possesses certain forms of capital that have led us to our current positions. I continually struggle as a teacher and privileged white male as to how I utilize my capital in my classroom. Should we use our capital to teach students how to "play the game"? Or, should we use it in a way that educates them in a liberating way? (without appearing to be a savior) How can we accomplish the latter in our classrooms?

Discussion Questions: Group 6

1. The U.S. Senate is ready to unveil legislation to modify and overhaul the immigration system in our country. NBC news reported:  “The plan outlines an emphasis on shifting legal immigration towards more skilled workers; sets ambitious goals for surveillance and security along the nation’s southern border; and offers qualifying undocumented immigrants a decade-long process – dependent on external border security triggers -- towards legalization and eventual citizenship in the United States.” If you read the proposed provisions you will notice the emphasis on security, and how both vague and strict the language are in regards to obtaining legal residency in the U.S. How does this proposed legislation affect our work as educators or counselors? If you were part of the staff at Franklin High School, does your strategy change in your day to day work with students?

The link to the article with stated provisions can be found here. 

2. Saturday Night Live featured a spoof on the song “Accidental Racism” in its Weekend Update segment last weekend. “LL Cool J” and “Brad Paisley” attempted to defend the song and its intent with a slew of satirical comments about racism and its place in our society. In spite of the criticism the original song generated, and the points raised by the video in Leigh’s earlier post, what reactions does this skit generate for you? Does it make you feel awkwardly uncomfortable to laugh?  What message is popular media sending about racism in this country? Is there anything said in the skit that makes us pause and think about how far we are from achieving the type of inclusion that is both health and progressive?

Click here to see the SNL skit.  

For those who have not seen/heard the real song. Here it is:

 

Some resources that may be of help:

Dealing with trauma

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/disaster_recovery_trauma_stress_coping.htm

NYCore's help sheet put together after Newtown

http://nycore-teaching.wikispaces.com/Talking+%26+Teaching+about+Newtown%2C+CT

A thoughtful reaction after a rushed misreport on suspects

http://thelangarhall.com/news/prayers-for-boston-for-an-end-to-racist-backlash/

Group 3 Discussion

As the song “Accidental Racist” proves, ignorance about persistent racism and inequality in this country is widespread. As Renee noted on the blog, many white people seem to cling to a wholly untrue belief that slavery ended hundreds of years ago, and do not recognize the microagressions and overt racist acts that continue to persist. As educators, how can we have more authentic discussions about the history of racism, and the ways in which it persists, in schools?

In Youth Held at the Border, Patel writes about the “reciprocal commitment” between a teacher and a student, which fueled the student’s effort in class despite the many difficulties he encountered. In terms of getting students to feel engaged, comfortable at school, and enable their success, this is about as good as it can get. However, is it possible for a teacher to develop this sort of commitment with more than a few students at a time? If so, based on the chapter and your own experiences, how can teachers create this? The chapter also noted a theme that we have discussed in class many times: the problems that can arise when teachers have little understanding of their students’ backgrounds. What can school leaders do to help lessen this problem?

To shake or not to shake

Hi Everyone

OK, I lied. I am going to show you a few slides (I promise no more than five) at the start of our class Thursday, as one topic that we won't dedicate a whole session to but that is quite important as we recognize ourselves as cultural workers, not just missives of lesson plans: cultural appropriations.


And MHP breaks it down beautifully, relative to the Harlem Shake here.

And here's one of the best pieces I've read in a long time on hip hop, African American English, and the deeply fluid nature of language and culture. It's accessible and worth the time spent with it (of course, I think everything we read merits that, but still).

Hi Class

This TIME article by Fareed Zakaria highlights, "broad changes taking place at U.S. universities that are moving them away from an emphasis on merit and achievement and toward offering a privileged experience for an already privileged group".

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2140209,00.html#ixzz2QUetIysW

Cecilia

More Louis C.K.

Hi class,

I saw this article and cover story for Rolling Stone about Louis C.K. and found some of the things he was talking about interesting. Very similar to the Leno clip we watched.

Louis C.K. Talks 'Mexican Past' In Rolling Stone Cover Story

Rewind to Ableism! Meet Tommy Edison, who has been blind since birth, talks about describing colors to blind people.

Don't know how I stumbled across Tommy on my Youtube trolls, but I've been dying to post it since our class reading “The Country of the Blind” By H.G. Wells. I think Tommy Edison, deepens some of the class questions I posted on how worldviews construct the realities we experience. This video brought me back to a quote I read in one of Polisci books by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein "to imagine a language means to imagine a form of life." I keep thinking about this, how does reflect language the realities we experience and how what does this say about our experience. Any thoughts?

You could do a muuuuch better job

Here's a video to test your sociological analysis with. I'm not sure how you are with simple melodies but I am quite sure you could provide a much better analysis of institutionalized racism than this, um, "song."

Aaron Huey: America's Native Prisoners of War

Hi everyone,

I showed this video in my US History class a few weeks ago and thought it would be an interesting perspective to have for this weeks reading. Enjoy

Group 4 Questions

1) Thinking back to what we have read and discussed last week regarding talks about race and how it should be openly discussed, do you think CRT is more effective targeting this issue because its basic premise is on the idea that racism is endemic in society? How would changing the perspective from White-Eurocentric historical context to persons of color affect such conversation? Also, what are some possible dangers in that? Think back to the Chicano Study in Arizona. 

2) Similar to the Chicano study, how do you balance educational and cultural, or positive aspect, of the Native Americans to the anger and oppression students and even teachers might feel toward American colonization when studying the foundation of it all that is based on imperialism, colonization, White supremacy and material gain? Is it possible to take a non-white perspective without feeling any sort of anger or oppression? 

3) The goal is to "move away from colonization and assimilation to more self-determination and tribal sovereignty." However, it's a very broad and almost too theoretic. What are some realistic and pragmatic ways to help this theory come to life? 

Group 5 Questions

One AITTP student in the article states, “We have to make sure that our people know how to read and write, and that they have someone in front of them who understands what it means to be Indian.” (Brayboy, 426) The article also talks about self-identification, and how important it is for groups to “define themselves, their place in the world, and their traditions.” (Brayboy, 435) To what extent is it possible to understand a culture other than your own without having grown up immersed in it? Is it possible for a teacher to have a sufficient understanding of a culture without having the outward appearance and history that reflects that culture or does a teacher need to be similar to students in order to help them in the process of defining themselves?

 Brayboy discusses the notion that the goal of U.S. society is to “civilize” American Indians by replacing their heritage with English culture. However, in order for individuals to thrive they need knowledge of their past, present and future as the article describes culture, knowledge, and power as all being intertwined. Looking specifically in an educational setting and the problematic idea of assimilation, what knowledge do American Indians need to gain in education? In other words, what is an “appropriate” education that will teach American Indians both the necessary academic knowledge as well as allow them to maintain their cultural identity?

 Think of an image people may have of your culture. Does it reflect the reality of who you are? Think again about what we discussed last week in our group and what it may be like to check the “other” box on an application. TribalCrit values the importance of stories as a legitimate form of data to make up theory and remind us of our origins. Looking back at the stories you told in your autoenthnography, what does this tell you about where you come from and what would you want younger members of your community to take away from your stories?

Group 3 Questions

1. Brayboy states “racism is endemic in society and in education, and that racism has become so deeply engrained in society’s and schooling’s consciousness that it is often invisible,” do you agree with this statement? In the current school or past schools you have work in, has the racism been present but almost invisible? Is it invisible because people ignore it or chose not to deal with the implications?

2. In what ways in our own schools can we bring this idea of invisible racism to our colleague’s attention? Also how can we make sure if there is racism at our school and it is invisible, how can we bring it to light and work on eliminating it?

3. Brayboy discusses challenging the dominant culture, how can we educate our students that it is okay to challenge the dominant culture? Also it is important that we educate them just because something is apart of the dominate culture does not make it right or the only way to think about something.