Jeannie Oakes

Alyssa Giammarco
Dr. Corinne McKamey
FNED:346
24 November 2018

Response to Tiffany's blog:

Why Schools Need to Take Another Route By: Jeannie Oakes:

I decided to do extended comments on Tiffany's blog on the quotes that she picked from this weeks reading. I think that Tiffany made many great points that I agree with. The first quote that she chose caught my eye which was “Tracking leads to substantial differences in the day to day learning experiences students have at school. Moreover, the nature of these differences suggests that students who are placed in high ability groups have access to far richer schooling experiences than other students. This finding helps explain at least in part why it is that tracking sometimes seems to work for high ability students and not for other.” I agree with what she explained the meaning behind this quote was. I do believe that students who are put into high ability groups have better teachers which result in a better education. Whereas students that are placed in low ability groups are given mediocre teachers which results in a mediocre education. I agree with Tiffany when she said this isn't fair because why should one group get a better teacher just because they are in a higher group? As a future teacher and business owner I will aways try and give each student the best education. This quote is relevant to the reading because the author is talking about how schools need to change their polices in order for everyone to receive a fair and equal education.

The second quote she used was “Students in the latter classes learned basic reading skills taught mostly by workbooks, kits, and easy to read stories. Learning tasks consists most often of memorizing and repeating answer back to the teacher. Since so much of importance was omitted from their curriculum, students in the low ability classes were likely to have little contact with the knowledge and skills that would allow them to move into higher classes or success if they got there.” The author is talking about how students in higher ability groups gets taught essential writing and reading skills; whereas students in a lower ability groups learn the minimum of how to read and write. The article reveals that students in higher ability groups learn reading and research skills as well as vocabulary that will benefit them in the future when entering higher levels of education. Students in lower ability groups learn through easy to read stories which doesn't teach them the skills they need to become better critical thinkers and problem solvers. Tiffany brought up a good point which was that if she was a parent then she would get involved quickly because the education is unfair. I completely agree with her because as a preschool teacher with previous experience working with children of all ages in different grades, I believe that every student should be getting great but equal education. Students in lower ability groups should be receiving additional help and support to get them where they need to be in that grade level. Teachers should be standing up for these children and trying to make a difference in there community so that these children receive the same education as the children in higher ability groups. This quote is relevant to the reading because the author is talking about how schools need to change the way their students are receiving resources to learn so that everyone gets a fair and equal education.

The third and last quote Tiffany used was “In low ability classes, for example teachers seem to be less encouraging and more punitive, placing more emphasis on discipline and behavior and less on academic learning. Compared to teachers in high ability classes, they seem to be more concerned about getting students to follow directions, be on time and sit quietly. Students in low ability classes more often feel excluded from class activities and tend to find their classmates unfriendly. Their classes are more often interrupted by problems and arguing, while students in higher ability classes seem to be much more involved in their classwork.” This quote is revealing that students in higher ability classes are much more engaged as students in lower ability classes. The author reveals that teachers in the lower ability classrooms focus on behavior and how to fix them; while teachers in the higher ability classrooms focus on beneficial skills such as listening and writing skills. Tiffany brought up a great point which was, "just because a student is in the lower ability classroom it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be teaching them and encouraging them to do their best." What she said stuck in my head because she is right. These students just need a little more support on assignments or tests. Just because they are in the lower ability group it doesn't mean they are incapable of learning the same material as the students in the higher ability group, it just means they learn at a different pace. This quote is relevant to the reading because the author is talking about how schools need to change the way their students are receiving resources to learn so that everyone gets a fair and equal education. 

Talking point to discuss in class:

I believe that every student should be receiving the same education no matter if they are in the higher or lower ability groups. Schools really need to change their policies because it is clear that this is still an issue today. If we all work together then we can make our school community better and more equal for every student.

Link to the reading:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-JcBFAuLc-0RjNSSW1ueTNfRTA/view

 Link to Tiffany's Blog Post:

http://tiffany1070.blogspot.com/2018/11/jeannie-oakes-patrick-finn.html

Map & Connections of Authors

Alyssa Giammarco
Dr. Corinne McKamey
FNED: 346
18 November 2018

On this day I was sitting on the rug with the students when my teacher came over holding a 3D globe of the world. Many of the students turned to me asking, “Miss Alyssa, what is this game we are going to play.” I replied and said it’s called around the globe and it’s designed to show what country you were all born in. My teacher began passing the globe to a student where they would catch it and then stand up and tell the class what country they were born in. It was interesting to see that some of these children were born in the same country. For instance, many were born in the Dominican Republic, Africa, and Puerto Rico. This game allowed the children to see that they are not different from one another. In addition this game tried to build relationships among the students in the classroom. I can relate this story from my classroom to the reading by Johnson. Johnson would celebrate these efforts because the game provided a lesson that taught the students about issues of privilege, power, and difference. It also allows the students to feel more comfortable about the topic.

During meeting time on the rug, my teacher allows each of her students to speak even if they don’t speak English or only know a few words. A strategy that she uses is providing speaking stems. When we were finished with the around the globe game, she asked her students to hold up a fist with their hand. They held up a number between one and five on how they were feeling on this day. The speaking stems provided help to the students that wanted to speak but had trouble. An example of a speaking stem would be, “I am a five today because I love spending time with my teacher and friends.” My teacher helps start off the sentence for non language speakers and has them try to finish it. She refers back to others cultural background and shows acceptance.  I can relate this story from my classroom to the reading by Kristof. Kristof would celebrate these efforts because my teacher helps and encourages non language speakers to adapt to the English language.

Many of these families are coming from a community where it’s low income and high poverty. Halloween were only weeks away so the students were talking about what they wanted to be. The following day a student came in with rolls of toilet paper because he wanted to be a mummy. The reason behind the toilet paper was because his family couldn't afford to buy him a costume. In fact, he explained that sometimes his family struggles to provide groceries for him and his siblings. I can relate this story to the reading by Johnson. The demographics show that many of these families in the district are financially struggling. I can also relate this story to the reading by Kozol. This is because students in this school can come from the poorest neighborhoods but still have a smile on their face when you first meet them; just like this student that I described.

There is this student in the classroom who has a lot of trouble expressing their thoughts in English. One day when coming back from recess, he came up to me and spoke really fast in Spanish. I had to say to him to slow down and to try to use English words. Students that were hearing the conversation helped translate what he was saying so I could help the situation. These students feel a sense of unity because they know they are from a different country, and speak a different language, however they feel a sense of unity because they are the same. My teacher has her materials organized by Spanish and English followed by a picture. These teaching methods allow the students to feel more comfortable when trying to adapt a new language.  I can relate this story to the reading by Garcia. This is because students are helping each other communicate between Spanish and adapting to English together. This story also describes the benefits of translanguaging. 

Link to map of authors:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VMtRW07BY1R5SLcfTym1MDDTXlrv0VwSURZyZ_y1G6/edit

Christopher Kliewer & Ray McDermott & Herve Varenne

Alyssa Giammarco
Dr. Corinne McKamey
FNED:346
11 November 2018

Citizenship in school: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome By: Christopher Kliewer

 "Now we know that people with disabilities can learn and have a full, rich life. The challenge is to erase negative attitudes about people with develop-mental disabilities, get rid of the stereotypes and break the barriers for people with disabilities."
This quote reveals that everyone can be successful in life no matter if they have a disability. Many people believe that if you have a disability then you will not live a happy life. However these people are bias because if you work hard then you can achieve any goal. I've heard of many people that had a disability ever since birth; they overcame that obstacle and became successful. Kliewer believes that in order for people to do this then they have to ignore then negative attitudes, and stereotypes. This quote is relevant to the text because the author is talking about children with down syndrome and how they are viewed.

"Shayne, however, did not see Isaac, or any of her students, as defective. In her classroom, which contained 6 students clinically identified as disabled (3 with Down syndrome, including Isaac) and 10 students considered non-disabled, Shayne and her associates worked to create a context that supported all children's full participation."
This quote is saying that many teachers label children with disabilities as defective. However this teacher in particular saw her children as human beings. It's sad that teachers would ever consider viewing a child with a disability as defective. From my experience working with children in a preschool, I have come across a child who was on the spectrum with autism. I always included this child in every activity we did. I made sure that I provided lessons that would benefit that child's learning.  Children with down syndrome learn at a slower pace than regular students, but this doesn't mean that they are not capable of learning the same material. The teacher needs to make appropriate  lesson plans due to their way or style of learning. No child should feel that they are worthless or incapable of doing something! This quote is relevant to the text because the author is talking about children with down syndrome and how they are viewed by teachers in their school.

Link to the Article:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-JcBFAuLc-0bXVmZVR4ODI0RHc/view

Culture as Disability By: Ray McDermott & Herve Varenne

"Common sense allows that persons unable to handle a difficult problem can be labeled "disabled."Social analysis shows that being labeled often invites a public response that multiplies the difficulties facing the seemingly unable. Cultural analysis shows that disability refers most precisely to inadequate performances only on tasks that are arbitrarily circumscribed from daily life. disabilities are less the property of persons than they are moments in a cultural focus. Everyone in any culture is subject to being labeled and disabled."
This quote reveals the struggles that many people with disabilities face everyday. The author explained that everyone receives a label and once you are labeled it's hard to change peoples thoughts about you. He tells us that its easy to recognize wen someone has a disability especially in the public setting. Study shows that "disabled" means that you cannot perform certain tasks daily. We live in a world where people judge and label others. Our world needs to change because instead of it being a safe place where everyone can live happily, it's turning into a melting pot. This quote is relevant to the text because the author is talking about disabilities dealing with culture.

Link to the Article:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mzLNrk6d8WMNzipSieLlf5L-KQxXhSTl/view

Talking point to share in class:
I believe that our world needs to change. Many children are living in a world of fear because they think they are going to be labeled or not successful later in life. Using words like "defective" is offensive especially for children with a disability. Instead of sitting there and watching children with disabilities be labeled, get out there and make a difference in their lives! "See the person not the disability!"