Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Conversations: Eliminating Abelism in Education
I would like to start off saying that I LOVED this article. I have been thinking a lot about special education because of the child who is in my room this year. She came in non-verbal and would spend her day running around and screaming in both protest of the expectations now on her and that we couldn’t understand her. Having some knowledge of sign language because my grandparents are deaf, I started to sign to her which helped! I educated all students in sign language and started using it with everyone so that she wouldn’t be singled out. It also helped because I would use the same sign for both English and Spanish, so when the language changed on a given day, the sign didn’t and everyone was able to make the connection. I have spent a lot of time thinking about what is fair/right or what the best placement and strategies could be. Which has led me to think about expectations. This ties in well with the article “Eliminating Ableism in Education” because “Penny remembers an event that made it clear that she had entered a new world of lowered expectations” due to her son having some disabilities (Pg 1). She was even told that it was expected to have a period of mourning as if it was a loss of a child, of which she had actually experienced so this comparison was shocking to her because it didn’t feel at all the same as they were alluding to. This shows the Abelist mentality of our society - if one is not “perfect”, one is a, dare I say, a COMPLETE loss!
“Penny’s early instinctual reaction to the negative assumptions held by many of the service providers she encountered led her to seek the advice of adults with disabilities” (pg 2) It is here that I wonder what kind of school she attended as a student, working class, middle class, affluent or executive elite as cited in Finn, from Literacy with an Attitude. Her actions lead me to believe she went to an affluent school as she broke off in protest!
Two quotes that stuck out to me when reading about Penny’s experience were (both from page 2): “disability only becomes a tragedy for me when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives — job opportunities or barrier free buildings” and “Penny recalls her counsel: “Don’t assume he has the same educational rights as every other child. You’re going to have to fight for that.”
Furthermore, the author mentioned “assumptions undermine the educational attainment of these children '' This led me to think about what the alternative classroom would look like for my student who is non-verbal. Would they have the same high expectations? She can read, reason, make complex patterns, she makes jokes in her own way with her facial expressions and short phrases. Would it be assumed she didn’t understand what was going on and therefore not pushed? Would she be allowed to do whatever she wants because “that’s just how she is”?
Pg 3
To that assumption I think of Nick Vujicic, the man born with no arms or legs, and Paul Alexander, “The Man in the Iron Lung”.
The Deaf Community
I was shocked when I read that a student who was deaf was denied the right to use or receive content in ASL! Would they have made that ruling if an English interpreter was denied in a Spanish speaking classroom? Where is the common sense, logic and consideration for others?!
I chose to read about the deaf community given that I have grandparents who are deaf and I have been thinking a lot about what the effects of learning ASL would be for non-verbal autistic students. I was SHOCKED to learn that Alexander Graham Bell was against learning to sign when he himself had a wife who was deaf….that led me to wonder a lot about the character of the man and how that marriage may have been…..definitely negatively judged him for that! 🤨😬 Lip reading is beneficial, sadly it’s really the only way my grandmother and I can communicate. She uses ASL and her voice and I use a few signs, facial expressions and slow speech so she can lip read. My grandparents were sent away to the school for the deaf, her family didn’t learn much sign language and my great grandmother always wondered if she did the right thing by sending her away and my grandmother is still upset about being sent away.
I wondered if hearing parents of deaf children are being educated about ASL and its importance. Much like students who experience rich conversation and are read to, tend to do better in school, it is the same for deaf children who learn ASL sooner rather than later.
It’s a HUGE topic among the deaf community about whether one should put cochlear implants on a child. It’s easier for hearing parents to just say yes, because they won’t have to learn a new language (except that they still should for SOOOO MANY REASON). They see it as an out from learning ASL and giving their child an opportunity in life.
There is a general distrust among many deaf people of the hearing community and a lot of anger about how they are pushed to the side. This can be seen in the part of the article where deaf applicants were passed over for the Presidency position of the School for the Deaf. I was enraged when I read that and so relieved when I read about them fighting back!
“There is considerable emerging evidence that unquestioned ableist assumptions are handicapping disabled children and are cause of educational inequities.”
“Well-bodied” humans are the ones disabling others!
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Conversations: Literacy with an Attitude
I found this article VERY interesting and informative! I love when readings make me think about my past experiences and it triggers “ah ha” moments and wonderings!
WORKING CLASS SCHOOLS
“There was little decision making or choices. Teachers rarely explained why work was being assigned or how it was connected to other assignments.” I distinctly remember NEVER being told why we carry the one when adding “We just do” - that crippled me for years! If we don’t know why we are doing what we are, how do we make connections on our own? As I read, it became clear that was the point - to create a group of people that don’t ask why, they just do as they are instructed. The attitude from the teachers towards the students was one of hopelessness and thinking the students would amount to nothing and they weren’t worthy of being pushed because they weren’t capable!
This reminded me of something I heard about training elephants. When they are young, they are chained and can’t escape (2:00 to the end). When they are older, they are chained and could escape but don’t because they have already experienced defeat and won’t push limits anymore! They believe that they are not capable!
THE MIDDLE CLASS SCHOOL
The teachers taught from the book, but still didn’t push students to question or go beyond. They taught that students should have the confidence to look for resources to find the answers, not for themselves to be resourceful and figure it out! They were encouraged to do more thinking here though when asked to explain how they completed something - and here they also had a choice. This is different from the working class teachers with their students. Here, at least, the children were allowed to believe in possibility based on the fact, there was more than one way to arrive at the conclusion.
Affluent Schools
Here we see the shift to creative activity and independence in one’s learning. Teacher’s became more of a facilitator versus the “sage on stage” barking the orders of “do as I say because I say it” or “that’s not what the book tells us!” Here “control involved constant negotiation. There was a degree of freedom that students had - almost an authority.
“In affluent professional school, work was not repetitious and mechanical, as it was in the working-class school; it was not knowing the correct answers, as it was in the middle school class; it was being able to manipulate what Anyon termed symbolic capital” (pg 17).
Executive Elite School
This reminds me of the school I started my career in. Santiago has a private christian school where the rich come to learn English and get a dual certification for the DR and for the United States. I had students whose parents were doctors, lawyers, politicians, and business owners (such as Fuente Cigars). I also had some students who regularly dined with the president of the country!
“While strict attention was demanded during lessons, there was little attempt to regulate the children’s movement at other times. They were allowed into classrooms when they arrived at school; they did not have to wait for the bell, as in every other school in Anyon's Study…permitted to take materials from closets and even from the teacher’s desk when they needed them” (pg 19).
I wonder why as we work our way through the system, teachers are more respectful of students. Is it because they have more respect for who their parents are or that they could get in trouble at work if they are rude to students in an Elite School due to the authority that the parent’s have?
Takeaways
I thought the question on knowledge to be interesting. To see the progression of belief and the definition change as we went through the types of schools was very telling of how they are being trained to believe and to think.
I also thought it interesting how students were released to explore, create, and think as they socio-economic class progressed
“The working-class children were learning to follow directions and do mechanical, low paying work, but at the same time they were learning to resist authority” (pg 20). In a way, learning to resist authority could help some of them to push their way up the system. I think some stubbornness gets people a long way! If they refuse to give up or believe what someone says about them…..For example, I was told by a teacher after student teaching and before I had my own teaching job, that I wouldn’t make it as a teacher because I wasn’t detail oriented. What if I listened to her opinion about my capability? My mom was told by a teacher when she was an adult pursuing her degree as an interpreter for the deaf that she needed more life experience before she could continue. My mom gave up instead of just pushing through and getting life experience as she went on. She believed that teacher.
Another example between my mom and I is that she read somewhere that X was made for Y so that is how you should use it. My response - Who says? And Who cares? If there’s a better way to do it, do it. Does our perspective on life date back to our elementary days and the type of teachers we had?
Or I think of my cousin Des who always wanted to be a writer for shows and movies and write his own things. He seemed to have everything stacked against him. He came from a single family home where his white mom was a waitress barely making enough to get by. He was one of only a handful (maybe less) of black students in the town of Westerly at the time and he decided he was going to Loyola to pursue his dream despite having no money!! What type of school was he in? Was it his stubbornness that pushed him forward? Was there a teacher who chose to cheer him on?
This should not only be a lesson in how we need to control the narrative in our minds but also that there is power of life or death in the tongue and we need to be thoughtful and wise to not tear students down. It can change their trajectory!
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Conversations: Gender
In the history of our school system and in our history in general, there has not always been equality in one's rights - and it’s something we are still working toward. It has always been assumed that it was the white well bodied men who had the rights. There have been movements in Civil Rights for quite some time, but it is only in recent history that gender equality has really been addressed. This is now taking place in schools and RIDE has supported this movement via the Guidance for RI schools on Transgender and Nonconforming Students. As teachers, it is our role to create a safe and welcoming environment for all students despite what our personal thoughts and opinions may be on a given situation or topic.
As this is a relatively new topic for me to encounter in school, I appreciate reading through and becoming clear on definitions so that I am able to listen to a student with a deeper understanding. I appreciate reading the guidelines so I know my role on what is expected of me. I especially think the section on PRIVACY, CONFIDENTIALITY, AND STUDENT RECORDS is important because although that seems to be common sense, some may not see it as being private. I also think it’s important that teachers know “Transgender and gender non-conforming students have the right to discuss and express their gender identity and expression openly and to decide when, with whom, and how much to share private information.” Students should not be silenced on any aspect of who they are: religiously, culturally, or emotionally. Therefore, it’s important that teachers receive training and knowledge on how to allow students to discuss their whole selves regardless of how comfortable that teacher is with whatever topic.
As a parent, I wonder about the section in the guidance about restrooms and locker rooms. More so about locker rooms where changing takes place in the open. I see that students who are transgender and non-conforming are able to choose to use the space that corresponds to their gender identity and as the document goes on, it discusses that some students may be uncomfortable with this. While it mentions the student identifying as transgender or non-conforming are able to ask for “a privacy partition or curtain, permission to use a nearby private restroom or office, or a separate changing schedule” if they are uncomfortable, the document doesn’t state that cisgender students are able to ask for the same. I wonder if that inconsistency brings an equal sense of “safe and supportive environment” to all students. I wonder if even though it’s not written specifically into the document, all students are able to ask for the same supports and that it would be honored equally.
In our reading of “Queering our Schools” by the Editors of Rethinking Schools parent and teacher, Karl stressed “education rather than law...how to talk to students” and in the RIDE Guidance we read about the need to “foster understanding of gender identify to create a school culture that respects and values all students.” So if anti-bullying campaigns aren’t getting the work done because they are focusing on the bully rather than social justice, what is the plan on how to educate students? What about starting with the parents?
Knowing the law says that “Transgender and gender non-conforming students have the right to discuss and express their gender identity and expression openly” but schools are worried “about backlash from parents'' when it comes to adopting “school wide approaches that open up discussion of LGBTQ rights and homophobia”, I wonder if parents could be invited to the conversation first (pg 23). I wonder if the schools and teachers team together to discuss first the laws and rights and create a plan if parents would be more knowledgeable; therefore more understanding about what the school is doing - even if they may not agree with it. Also, then parents would know how to speak with their students as well and education will be taking place both at home and in schools. Why?
Because “when you invite kids to talk openly and ask questions about gender and sexuality, you have to be ready for whatever happens. It’s trickier than geometry. But it’s also a critical key to building community where no one is silenced, where everyone’s reality is recognized and valued” pg 23 Queering Our Schools). People’s realities will collide. Will teachers be prepared to also respect the point of view of ALL perspectives? We tend to challenge perspectives we don’t agree with instead of listening. Will students of all perspectives be heard and respected? There are families with strong beliefs on this topic and while they may not agree, they do need to be respectful and understanding of other points of view and vice versa. The following paragraph makes me hopeful (I have however seen teachers tell students they are not allowed to share their religious beliefs at school. This should not be!):
I wonder how the topic on gender will be rolled out. As with any sexual topic, age appropriateness should be considered. Young Children should not be exposed to everything all at once or even introduced to something at a certain age. I believe watching the documentary, “It’s Elementary” will be insightful for me.
Creating a safe and respectful space for all through education for all is key here!
Sunday, March 3, 2024
Conversations: Robbing the Key to the Heart!
Teaching Multilingual Children
Collier
Quote: “How do you teach standard English in a way that respects and affirms the multiple home languages and dialects represented among students in class?” (223).
Quote “If English has to be taught in a speedy fashion and students have to acquire the language rapidly enough to survive academically, how can teachers do this?” (223).
Point 1
Be aware that children use first language acquisition strategies for learning or acquiring a second language.
“Children acquiring second language will self-correct their own utterances ver time as they progress through the various stages of second language development, which are similar to those experiences by a child learning her and his first language (128)” (p 224)
Point 2: Do NOT think of yourself as a remedial teacher expected to correct so-called “ deficiencies” of your students.
(p. 226)
3 and 4 really go together:
3. Don’t teach a second language in any way that challenges or seeks to eliminate the first language.
4. Teacher the standard form of English and students' home language together with appreciation…..
“Since children code-switch spontaneously, teachers must understand the functions of code-switching in a bilingual setting to determine how best to respond to it in the classroom. ….it can occur at the word, phrase, clause or sentence level. Code-switching is considered by linguistics to be a creative use of language by bilinguals who know both codes (languages) well.
5. Do not forbid young students from code-switching in the classroom. Understand the functions that code-switching serves
Pg 229
6. Provide a literacy development curr. That is specifically designed for English language learners.
pg 233
Aria
Richard Rodreguiz
Pg. 34
I understand what the author here is saying about being delayed if not fully immersed and forced to learn English as he was. I learned the most Spanish when no English was around. I had no other choice but to make myself be understood or stay silent and observe. It is uncomfortable physically, emotionally and mentally, but diamonds are made in the crushing! There is value in the effort and pain that occurs when there is no other option.
I am not sure that anyone in society previously put themselves in the others’ shoes. This action is 100% the audacity of the culture of power that is in place. Speaking English is one of the rules of power and this family knew that and assimilated. But at what cost?
(pg 35).
I see this in my students. I remember a few years ago that I had a student named Evans. He refused to speak English. He would stare me dead in the eyes and refused to repeat anything. The look of sadness he had daily and the set look of defiance at other times was palpable. He would light up and be lively when speaking Spanish but if approached in English, he shut down as if I flipped a switch. And why wouldn’t he? He had just crossed the border, left his father and was now in a culture completely different with the pounding of English in his ears.
(pg 36).
I can’t help to think how he is now finding his place in his new home and I can relate to the weight lifted at the idea of being able to flow in and out of conversations - feeling part of society again…but then thinking at what cost? I know so many students who can’t speak with their families. Who understands most of what their mom is saying but replies in English to which she doesn’t understand. By the time there are grandchildren, the family is just awkwardly staring at each other in silence.
pg. 37
This is the weight of the sacrifice that the parents made when submitting to the rules of power in their new home. Is it worth it? Why can’t they have both? Their heart language and English. We should be ashamed for breaking families apart like this and leading parents to believe they are helping their child by NOT speaking their home language. It’s an injustice for sure! Yet this author seems okay with it…..I see so many kids who can’t communicate with their parents. They are living with strangers. Our greatest influence and strongest connection should be with family and the language barrier inside of families is keeping the fundamental key locked.
(pg 37).
This reminds me of Evans. If he was not allowed to speak Spanish, he would not be able to be himself. He would remain locked up…and yes, when he learns English, he will be released once again,but at what cost? Will he be able to talk to his father in Guatemala? Will he continue to guard the key to his heart or render it to societal pressure….what’s the trade off? Is it worth it? Can he have both? I think so!
Pg 39
I think this author has just decided that fitting in with the crowd is more important than keeping family connections and it irritates me! 😮💨Is he not deeply saddened by the loss of connection with his family? What was the payoff? I had a student in the DR named Denny who I was hired to teach English to - he was 4 at the time. He told me defiantly in Spanish: I am not going to learn English.” I got him to see the value of speaking English by responding with “That’s fine but I will have more friends than you because I speak TWO languages and you only speak ONE!” His one little eye brow went up 🤨 and he said “No, I will learn and have more friends than you!”
While I was “forcing” him to learn and use one language, I was not telling him to get rid of the other. I was showing him there was value in both. His parents saw the value of learning two languages and he is now fully bilingual.
We need to respect and hold tight to every aspect that makes us us and to what makes others them! There is power in the struggle of assimilation, but we should not be erasing what’s in the heart and creating familial division.
-
Shock-Doctrine Schooling in Haiti: Neoliberalism off the Richter Scale. The action of taking advantage of people when disaster has struck ha...
-
NOTE: I have chosen this graphic because it’s how I felt the entire article! I don’t know that my thoughts flow smoothly after reading thi...
-
I found this article VERY interesting and informative! I love when readings make me think about my past experiences and it triggers “ah ha...
