From Renee: Junot Díaz on Freedom University

Hi All,

Here's a video that Renee wanted posted but ran into a technical problem:

http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/03/junot_diaz_schools_stephen_colbert_on_why_undocumented_youth_need_to_go_to_college.html

Saturday event on race and education

Hello All,

Freeman Hrabowski is speaking at Simmons College on March 30th, two lectures at 10a.m. and 1p.m. This will be a great series of lectures addressing positive and successful examples of high quality education for African American youth, particularly in math and science. For any of you who are looking to 'make up' an absence, this would be a good (and only) way to tackle that and write a response after the lecture.

http://www.simmons.edu/overview/about/news/news-photos/412.php

Interesting Take on Internet Cultural Capital...

Hi All,

Saw this story on Engadget, and I think it's a worthwhile read, and an interesting spin on the conversation about capital (in its varied forms). What do you think?

This is the Modem World: The internet may be killing cash

(http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/20/the-internet-may-be-killing-cash/)

Could Internet access be a determinant factor in possessing capital in the future? What if we found a way to truly limit the voices of many in favor of the few? Is this what's happening already; are some moving into positions of power, limiting the chances of the success of others virtually and thus in the "real" world?

Enjoy!

Group 2: Wells, Fiction and "Disability"

1.            “The old became groping, the young saw but dimly, and the children that were born to them never saw at all. But life was very easy in that snow-rimmed basin, lost to all the world, with neither thorns not briers…” (1)

How does this quote undermine popular perception of those that are “disabled”? When, as in the story, a disadvantage becomes the norm, how does that impact the perception of what is normal, and what is difficult to manage?

2.            How does the genre of this reading impact your relation to it? As it is a work of short fiction how does it become more or less accessable to you as a reader? What truths about disability and perception can we observe, even in fiction?

3.            How does the proverb “In the Country of the Blind the One-Eyed Man is King” invert cultural perception of ableness? How can it be extrapolated to deal with a broader spectrum of “disadvantages”?

Group 5 Questions: Wells & Berezin

1). As we are discussing “ableism” this week, I wanted to take a closer look at the word “disability”. There are people who find this word problematic as they believe it undermines the wholeness of an individual by creating a divide between “disability” and “ability”, essentially saying that people with disabilities are “unable”. Etymologically, the word “disability” began being used to define people who were in “want of ability”, but over time, the word has taken a different course and attached itself to different social connotations. In an article where this issue is discussed, Frances Ryan says, “The word ‘disability’ is not disabling. The meaning that’s attached to it is. That meaning that defines a person singly by one aspect, an aspect that is often said to be frail and tragic.”

So what do you think? Do you agree that we should not encourage the use of the word “disability”? Why or why not?

Frances Ryan’s article: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/dont-forget-the-word-disability-but-dont-pity-it-either-8125961.html

2). In Jared Berezin video on disabled capital, he teaches us that in a society where there is a dominant and “normal” way of being, everything else is considered abnormal, unacceptable, and invaluable. This ties into the way Nunez was labeled as “imperfect” in the Country of the Blind. Just because he had a different set of skills and a different perspective of the world around him, he was seen as deficient and an “idiot”. As I noticed these societal patterns in Berezin’s video essay and H.G. Wells’ short story, it became clearer that the overall message was that Berezin’s and Nunez’s “different” did not equal “abnormal”, “unacceptable”, “invaluable”, “deficient”, or “idiot”. It's just different, and just as Nunez recognizes the value of his gift of sight when he escapes, so does Berezin when he compares his pencil tapping to the talent of drumming. 

How does this influence your perspective of how students with disabilities should be approached in school? Is it educators’ objective to assimilate these students to “normalcy”-Nunez to the ways of the blind and Berezin to his classmates- or to hone the skills and talents they already have, even if they differ from those of the rest of the student body? 

Flipping the script on Donkey Kong

Viral this week: A computer programmer Dad's response to his 3-year-old's question of why she couldn't save the Donkey herself in Donkey Kong went viral this week? He hacked the game and flipped the script. Here's the video and a quote from the dad:

 "She was excited! But for all she knew, I just figured out how to get Pauline to work. And that was fine. I wasn't expecting it to change her life. We played for a bit. And some more. And again later. You know what? She really did seem to enjoy the game more. For whatever reason, she was more motivated to play as Pauline than as Mario. I can't read into that too much, because it does feel a bit like a new game to her still. So we'll see how she does after a week with it."

Response to presentation on Gender

Just saw this on a friend's gchat status with the comment "YUCK" and thought it was funny and interesting. 
If you have a spare moment take a look :)

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/i-dont-want-my-preschooler-to-be-a-gentleman/

Meet my immigrant mom

If you haven't had a chance to know immigration stories up close in your own history, this tear-jerker is a place to start: http://meetmyimmigrantmom.tumblr.com/

The Daily Show visits Tucscon

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-april-2-2012/tucson-s-mexican-american-studies-ban

GOLDIE BLOX VIDEOOOOO **WATCH ME!**

I'm not sure if we'll have time enough for this tomorrow during the presentation, but I think it's a very compelling message.  Not directly about schooling, but indeed about education and gender "differences." Raises some questions: if girls were provided with encouragement and enrichment (toys), would they be more successful in the math/science fields?

Check it out!

TOYZ TOYZ TOYZ (for girls!)

And here's the company website: goldie blox

What do you think??

-Maggie

Group 4 Questions :-)

Reading Patrick Camangian’s “Subverting the Master’s Syllabus” I found myself nodding my head at his explanation of how we as teachers can “translate personal experience into an American or World History class”.  I find myself constantly trying to get my students to connect their world with that of those who lived throughout history.  However, I am curious as to how this type of teaching can translate to the other subjects – math and science in particular.  What kind of curriculum can we, as educators, create? 

Patrick Camangian’s essay spoke of connecting with students, and how important it is to know their backgrounds.  After teaching over a hundred students in a year I have come to understand just how hard this concept is.  Regarding Camangian’s thoughts, and what we have discussed in class how should we as teachers overcome our own backgrounds to connect to our students in such a way that will benefit them as students, and as individuals?

The United States was formed around the principles of freedom of one’s self, including freedom of speech.  Therefore, the new Arizona bills that seek to restrict teaching courses that “promote to overthrow the United States Government” cause a rock to form at the pit of my stomach.  History is about learning not only what our world and country has done well, but also about learning from our history and how we might improve our world as a whole.  If we are to restrict such learning in the classroom as the Arizona Bill suggests, where does it stop?  Are these bills even constitutionally possible?

Within a society such as ours, with segregation and marginalization being so prominent, is it possible to create a certain amount of equality within the classroom setting?  How should educators go about creating a safe and unbiased system where students can flourish? Is it even possible?

Updates last week from Tucson

We'll be viewing Precious Knowledge Thursday, which documents both the Mexican American Studies program in Tucson and its shutdown.

There was some breaking news last week in the lawsuit filed by teachers and students from the MASA program claiming civil rights infringement.

Read on..., and if you have a few minutes, peep the video featuring Tom Horne (former Superintendent now Arizona's Attorney General) and African American Studies Professor Michael Eric Dyson

P.S. The discussion questions this week are EXCELLENT - pictures and videos much appreciated along with onpoint responses and questions to help us dig deeper.

Group 2 Questions March 14 (Patel Stevens and Stovall, Camangian)

Group 2 Questions for March 14, 2013

1. Patel Stevens and Stovall

I find it difficult to form a question about the topics and issues discussed in this reading - rather I am more comfortable shaking my head at the whole situation, but here goes. (1) If you were an Arizona legislator, and you were hypothetically concerned about the number of undocumented individuals in your state, how would you attempt to craft a law different from this one, if you would at all? (2) There are a lot of hypothetical questions in this one, but how should one distinguish documentation from race?  I think too often the lines between the two become blurred. (3) What message is HB2281 sending to students? (4) What classes have you taken in your lifetime that might promote or support racial or ethnic solidarity? (Consider Eurocentric histories, literature, music, for example) (5) Is BH2281 banning all ethnic courses, or just nonwhite ethnic courses?


2.  Camangian

(1) How do you connect to students' concerns and problems if you don't fully understand the depth of those problems? (2) As a "socially conscious teacher," which I assume we all will be upon graduation, what do you feel equipped to encounter in a classroom?  What do you feel unprepared to encounter? What, if anything, do you fear encountering? (3) What is a critical literacy and how does it differ from traditional classroom literacy? (4) How do you break students out of the system and give them the tools necessary to develop a critical literacy?

Group 7 - Arizona and Subverting the Masters' Syllabus

1. In reading the Stevens-Stovall reading, I immediately found myself thinking of the countless episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit I had watched.  The article makes note that the new Arizona bills restrict teaching courses which would "promote the overthrow of the United States Government."  If we are going to limit teaching histories which are important to the development of the American Government and society into what it is today, should we also restrict activities which would promote violence of any sort, or any form of uprising? Should we ban all violent video games? Should we continue and reinstate the process of banning books because they might encourage our impressionable youth? Where does it stop? Is it really the courses or the activities that would encourage these behaviors?

2. What kind of reaction do you think Patrick Camangian (Subverting the Master's Syllabus) would have towards the new legislation being presented in Arizona?  How does this legislation counteract his idea of teaching students "to love themselves, love their people, and love their histories, while confronting the pain of their suffering and finding ways to help them heal from the trauma caused by the colonial conditions they find themselves in"?  How would he argue against the idea that teaching students about these revolutions might foster an interest in overthrowing the American Government?

Group 3: Different Backgrounds and Arizona's Bills

When thinking about our own teaching, do you think in order for teachers to learn about all students’ different background and teach with an open mind that they need to take a graduate or college level course on the topic? Or do you think we need to educate ourselves or learn from our students or a combination of both? Many times I think teachers want to be open and include all cultures and backgrounds into their classroom and lesson but how do we learn to do this effectively or is it something that cannot be learned?

In Patrick Camangians article titled Subverting the Mater (‘) Syllabus, Camangian says “By mystifying reality, schooling is able to promote the idea that if you are compliant enough and study hard in school, then you can “achieve,” you will not get “left behind,” and you can “race to the top.” Everything will be all right for you. You will not be poor, you will have a nice job; and you will be better than those “other” people you left behind in “that” community.”

I think most teachers want to encourage their students to do well and look forward to a promising future but are there a way to do this with out “mystifying reality”? If so, how can we encourage and instill hope in our students with out being unreasonable and unrealistic?

What do you think about the Bills Arizona has passed? The government makes decision about what is important for educators to teach when they themselves are not in the classroom and don’t see what students need? I think it is important to educate our students on the history of the U.S. and not jus the white version but the history of slavery and immigration in this country. I think that it is important to have an open forum for students to discuss what has happened and what their current feelings are now on the history and how it affects them. How can we make students feel comfortable talking about tough topics that have happened din our countries history? 

Group 5: Immigration, Education, and the Politics of Inclusion

1.     In “Subverting the Master(‘s) Syllabus,” Patrick Camangian states “By mystifying reality, schooling is able to promote the idea that if you are compliant enough and study hard in school, then you can “achieve,” you will not get “left behind,” and you can “race to the top.” Everything will be all right for you. You will not be poor, you will have a nice job; and you will be better than those “other” people you left behind in “that” community.”

How do you encourage students to succeed and work to the best of their abilities without seeming colonialist or succumbing to the promotion of the idealistic American dream?

2.     Patrick Camangian in “Subverting the Master(‘s) Syllabus” has shown how to translate personal experience into an American or World History class or an English classroom.  How can we adapt curriculum requirements set by state requirements in other classes to address personal experience and history?

3.      With such a heated debate about racism and legislation promoting segregation outside the classroom, how do we handle such issues inside the classroom?  How should we as teachers deal and balance opinions of students, parents, other teachers, administrative staff, and our own?  How do we do all of this without posing a detriment to the students’ education and future?

4.     In light of the Arizona state legislation in regards to ethnicity and of federal legislation in regards to Black Codes, why is xenophobia and racism still in existence despite claims of equal rights and opportunity?  How does this translate to the American dream?

5.  The Arizona state legislature backs their stance with claims of preventing ethnic hate.  Is this a solid defense, or is this just a thinly veiled excuse?  How do you teach ethnic studies without pitting one group against another and thus proving the state representatives wrong?

Image From:

http://thegrio.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/ethnic-studies-in-arizona.jpg?w=487

Wealth Inequality in America

I wanted to share this youtube video on the reality of 'Wealth Inequality in America'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QPKKQnijnsM

Exercise those muscles of analysis

Here's a screen shot of a headline in Chicago about school closings. Can you do better than the headline of "Not Fair" with analysis of schooling, privatization, and race in America? Yes you can.

Can you imagine Edward Norton being stopped and frisked in the UWS?

Hello All,

This essay is one of the best I've ever read that eviscerates efficiently the ways that (like Jay Smooth schooled us) being called racist is a no go, and yet, we witness and sometimes perpetuate clearly racist practices.

Read on about Forest Whitaker being accused of shoplifting, and being frisked in the Columbia area of NYC - what does this tell us about the larger contexts. It's going viral in many social media circles, and it's an excellent example of an 'event' that is then filtered through research and sociological analysis.

Things (and people!) that are frightening.

Hello all,

Needless to say our discussions in class have spilled over to my break, my ride home quickly turned into an hour long conversation about women in the media with my mom. I think she was surprised as I went on and on...

I found this article on my facebook feed last week and to me, while the article itself is shocking and awful, it reveals one of my biggest points on the whole Seth MacFarlane situation. At the end of it all, Mr. MacFarlane is a comedian, who makes his living entertaining, and in truth offending people. I do not trust a single decision in my life to him, or any other comedian for that matter. While perhaps the Oscars was not the right stage for this kind of casual talk about women, I would say congress is certainly not the place for this kind of ignorance. Elected politicians like the one quoted in this article are people that we, as American citizens, do trust to make choices to protect and serve us. I would have liked to have seen this situation receive the kind of vitriolic reactions that the Oscars had.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/nh-lawmaker-says-some-people-might-like-being

Read and think about this- why do we focus so much on "celebrity" opinion, rather than the people who make our laws?

Hope break is treating you all well!

Maggie M.

Intersectionality, or What about the black transgendered penguins?

Although the structure of our syllabus has us 'tackling' different nodes of identity, we are all living in combinations of identities all at once. More simply put, you aren't just your gender one moment and then your race another. This also means that we have to be vigilant about paying attention to how privilege and oppression come in different combinations and position us differently. For example, to have consciousness about oppression as a woman of color doesn't mean that I 'get' what it feels like to be gay or transgender in this society. It is impossible for me to talk about race without talking about gender, but I also know that (stemming from our class discussion) I never have to sweat which bathroom I'm going to use. It's a nonissue, which means that I enjoy the huge privilege of having my gender identity rewarded; I have relative privilege there and encounter discrimination in other ways. This is what is important about intersectionality: understanding that our positions in society are an amalgamation of different aspects. This is a key concept to our course, so I've included lots of resources here.

First, a criticism of the lack of response from white feminists on the tweet about Quevenzhané Wallis. This is a great piece that should spur along thinking from the "gender" class on what the response to this tweet tells us about societal ability to respond to intersectional microaggressions.


Second, a string of links to hear the person with a mic right now speaking the most incisive truth about the socialization of men and women. Junot Diaz. If you haven't read The is how you lose her, do so. In the back of your mind (or maybe the front!), note that many other women, several who are mentors of Diaz, have been making these same points for quite some time, but he is getting the airplay on it. Worth noting and still listening to what he has to say.

Here's an NPR interview where Diaz discusses how, for most men, actually recognizing that women are full human beings is, well, it's a step. Have a listen:


Another NPR interview, this time based in Boston. Noteworthy here is how gracefully yet honestly Diaz handles the  question of his personal experiences of racism in Boston.


A quick-read interview where the point is how our relationships (of course) have on full display larger ideologies about race, class and gender. Put another way, who is seen to be cute/fly/insert-your-terminology-here does not exist in a vacuum devoid of racism/white privilege, patriarchy, and heteronormativity.

A provocative essay from Mia McKenzie (a fantastic writer who is also a stunning social critic) she published shortly after President Obama expressed his support for same-sex couples. There are many smart essays on this site about intersectionality and institutionalized privilege.

And finally, a wonderful reminder of how the best way to think, reflect, talk, and act to interrupt some pretty vicious patterns of violence in society is with humanity and connection (and maybe cake)

d