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Talking Points #10- Johnson

Allan G. Johnson. "What Can We Do?: Becoming Part of the Solution"; from Privilege, Power, and Difference.

Johnson argues that in order to solve the problems plaguing our communities, everyone must acknowledge their existence. Problems such as racism and sexism cannot be solved without the help of white men, for example. Unfortunately, all of us will not be around to see the the end of racism, intolerance, and oppression. Just because we will not be here when they are solved, does not mean that we should not do our part to help solve community problems. When attempting to solve community problems, the smallest contributions matter. A contribution now can help solve a problem one hundred years from now. Working to solve these problems will leave the future brighter.

• "Their silence and invisibility allow the trouble to continue. Removing what silences them and stands in their way can tap an enormous potential of energy for change." This quote is important because it reiterates the point Johnson made in his earlier chapter. People must learn to "say the words". These words will allow you to see what the problem is. You must state what the problem is before you can solve it. Using words will allow for a dialogue to be created between individuals. This dialogue will allow for an exchange of ideas to help solve the problem. The muzzles that we place on our belief systems and ways of thinking must be removed to open up new pathways for change.
• "It (trouble) does this in part because misery visited on others comes back to haunt those who benefit from it, especially in the form of defensiveness and fear." This quote is important because it connects to the Lawrence article that we read in class. Lawrence stated that feeling guilty about the actions of past whites will not help further the cause of African Americans. The fear and shame that trouble causes only works to stop the progress of equality for all. Those people who have benefited from the "Culture of Power" feel guilty for having done so. They feel ashamed that they did not stop the "Culture of Power". People who work towards securing true equality for all must stop looking in the past. The past cannot be changed. You can change the course of the future. Working towards attaining a better future for all of our citizens can help right some past wrongs. As a society, we must learn as much as we can from the problems of the past, but not become consumed by them. If we are consumed by the guilt and shame of the past, we will not be able to solve the problems of the present.
• "We become part of the long tradition of people who have dared to make a difference- to look at things as they are, to imagine something better, and to plant seeds of change in themselves, in others, and in the world." This quote is important because it states what educators must do. The job of an educator is to instill the belief in their students that they can make a difference in this world. It is our job to cultivate these seeds of change. Before we can create change in others, we must create change in ourselves. Educators must examine themselves to see how they view the problems plaguing the world. This self-examination must be done before we can take our first steps on the road of change.
  

Like his previous chapter, this article was a fairly easy read. It was a bit long though. Johnson gives the reader much food for thought. How has the "Culture of Power" influenced our lives? Did we even realize that the "Culture of Power" influenced us? A point that he made really stuck with me. We must get over the belief that we can only cause change if we are around to see the benefits of those changes. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not around to see the outcome of the Civil Rights Movement. That does not mean he was not a major contributing factor in that movement. If Dr. King had said that he was not going to try and better his community because he was not going to be around to reap the benefits, where would our society be? Helping to solve community problems is a selfless act. You must not think of yourself, you must think of others. Our society is centered around what is best for the individual. When attempting to solve these problems, we must think about what is best for society as a whole. People must realize that you cannot solve a community problem by yourself. We must work together to solve these problems. One person cannot strike a blow that will shatter the glass ceiling of community problems. It will be much easier to shatter the glass ceiling by having everyone make a little dent in it. If we help to initiate change today, the problems of tomorrow will be much easier to solve.

Down Syndrome Link

Hey everyone,

The following is information from Wikipedia about Down Syndrome. It helps explain the side effects of Down Syndrome and it's origins.

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Talking Points #8- Kliewer

Christopher Kliewer. "Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome"; from Schooling Children with Down Syndrome.

Kliewer argues that students with Down Syndrome should not be treated as burdens in the classroom and in society. Teachers should treat all students as valuable assets to the classroom. Every child has something to contribute to society. Educators should not view students with Down Syndrome as failures because they may not achieve every standard set forth by the curriculum. Educators should modify how they view the curriculum to play to the child's strengths.

• "Judith A. Snow (1996), a self-advocate in the disability rights movement, decries this judgment, stating: How absurd to be judged by others 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. (p. 12)" This quote is important because it exposes the hypocrisy that certain educators and members of the community have. You cannot tell a child with Down Syndrome what he or she can do, especially if you have no experience dealing with the disability. Certain educators and members of the community believe that people with the same disability need the same amount of help. That is not true! Two people with the same disability can lead two vastly different lives.
• "In establishing a representation of citizenship for all, Shayne recognized the transactional relationship of human reciprocity: Community acceptance requires opportunity for individual participation in the group, but opportunity cannot exist outside of community acceptance." This quote is important because it shows how dependent members of the community are on each other. We need each other. Students with Down Syndrome will not be able to function in society if that society does not accept them. Students with Down Syndrome will not be allowed to show their community what they can do, if they are not accepted as members of the community. In order for anyone to succeed in life, they must be afforded an opportunity.
• "To value another is to recognize diversity as the norm. It establishes the equal worth of all schoolchildren, a sense that we all benefit from each other, and the fundamental right of every student to belong." This quote is important because it sums up perfectly how all educators want to construct the atmospheres contained in their classrooms. The atmosphere in any classroom must be conducive to learning. A child cannot learn in your classroom, unless he or she feels comfortable there. Children will feel comfortable in your classroom if you recognize their individuality and "see" who they truly are. If you make any child conform to what you want him or her to be, that child will quit on you. A classroom is like a wheel. The children represent the spokes in the wheel. If one child is isolated or removed from the classroom, that classroom is damaged. Every child's educational benefits would have been lowered. If you remove a spoke from a wheel, that wheel cannot run effectively, if at all. This should show all educators that every child is vitally important to the function of the classroom, and the continuation of the educational process.

This article was rather long, but it was a fairly easy read. Words cannot do justice to how this story resonated with me. Although I do not have Down Syndrome, I am disabled. Being a student in the public school system, I can recall how educators and administrators would think they knew what was best for me. They could never truly know what was best for me. They are not the ones living with the disability, I am. Some educators and members of the Support Staff could only adhere to my needs as long as it fit within the financial budget of the city. Many times I was left without the accommodations that were owed to me by law. This left me feeling abandoned by my own district, like no one could hear my voice. No child should have to feel like they cannot be "seen". Every child's voice must be heard in our society. Separating students with Down Syndrome from the "normal" population is an injustice for everyone involved. The social skills gained by allowing students with Down Syndrome to interact with all of their peers is an invaluable resource. This will build their confidence in social settings and help contribute to their success in the future. The "normal" students will see that students with Down Syndrome and other disabilities are not so different from them. As educators are primary job is to foster the development of understanding and tolerance between students. We must help to "build bridges" to connect people of different races, genders, ethnicities, and social classes together. Educators should never label their students! Labels make students feel that they can only achieve so much. As a student, you must perform above the expectations of your label and not settle for the expectations that your label gives you.

Talking Points #7- Lawrence

Charles Lawrence. "One More River to Cross"- Recognizing the Real Injury in Brown: A Prerequisite to Shaping New Remedies; from The Institution of Education.

Lawrence argues that the implementation of Brown vs. Board of Education was a failure. Schools across the country failed to desegregate quickly. Most importantly, the Supreme Court failed to recognize that African American students were already emotionally and physically scarred from the institution of segregation. Segregation was created to make African Americans feel inferior. This feeling of inferiority and the institution of segregation itself caused their education to be unequal.

• "The Court's failure to recognize and articulate the true nature of racial segregation was more the product of an intentional, knowledgeable decision than the result of any inability to comprehend." This quote is important because it shows that the Supreme Court refused to acknowledge that they fell asleep on the job by allowing segregation to continue for such a long time. By only ending segregation and not admitting that it was created to keep African Americans separate from the rest of the population allowed the Supreme Court to save face in the public eye. By not admitting the existence and true nature of segregation allowed the American public to feel that our country's ideals of equality and freedom for all were actually being enacted.
• "Once it is understood that the injury results from the existence of the label of inferiority, it becomes clear that the cure must involve the removal of that label. The mere placement of black and white children in the same school does not remove the brand imprinted by years of segregation." This quote is important because it illustrates the emotional scars that segregation inflicted on African American children. Removing a label does not stop a child who has been told that he is inferior all of his life from feeling inferior. The damage of segregation had been done. You cannot just remove labels from children and walk away thinking that the problem is solved. Adults and children must be educated to realize that no person is inferior.
• "But the Court has never followed its reasoning in Brown to its logical conclusion. If state-sanctioned segregation injures black children by stigmatizing them (or engendering feelings of inferiority) then they are deprived of an equal educational opportunity by segregation outside of, as well as within, the school systems." This quote is important because it shows that the Supreme Court never acknowledged the intent of segregation. Their decision was only half-complete. The Court made a decision, but they failed to acknowledge the true injustice of segregation. By not admitting the problem, you cannot fix it.

Lawrence's article was a bit long, but it proved that the implementation of Brown vs. Board of Education was a failure. By refusing to acknowledge the problems faced by the victims of segregation, the Supreme Court continued to make African Americans feel inferior. By not admitting these problems, you cannot solve these problems. If these problems go unsolved, they will continue to grow. African American children still felt inferior years after the desegregation of schools. The trauma these children experienced stayed with them as adults. Their childhood experiences had a profound effect on their educational development. This trauma caused inequalities in their educational development. The inequalities in their educational development caused African American children to unfairly fall behind white children in terms of opportunities. As teachers, we must make sure that every child has an opportunity to succeed in life. Every child must know that they are special and of great worth. No child is worth more then another. Our curriculum must include the promotion of fairness, love, and equality.

Talking Points #6- Oakes

Jeannie Oakes. "Tracking: Why Schools Need To Take Another Route"; from Keeping Track: How Schools Structure Inequality.

Oakes argues that grouping students based on their abilities is an ineffective method of teaching. Statistically, grouping students based on ability only seems to help the "top-tier" of students. This leaves the "average" and "below average" students behind. Oakes argues that alternative teaching methods must be implemented to improve the learning of all students.

• "Moreover, the nature of these differences (in learning) suggests that students who are placed in high-ability groups have access to far richer schooling experiences than other students." This quote is important because it shows the large gap in school experience between the top-tier of students and everybody else. School districts make sure that every opportunity is given to the top-tier of students, while they let the "below average" students muddle through the school day. The students who need the most help are not getting it, while the students who need the least amount of help are getting everything handed to them.


• "Recent work of cognitive psychologists suggests, for example, that academic ability is not unchangeable but developmental and grows throughout childhood." This quote is important because it shows that "average" and "below average" students can be worked with to improve their abilities. Educators must learn that no child is a "lost cause" or "unteachable". A student can have great academic success if they work hard in conjunction with their teachers to improve their abilities.


• "Unless teachers and administrators believe and expect all students to learn well, they will be unlikely to create school and classroom conditions where students believe in their own ability and exert the effort it takes to succeed." This quote is important because it shows just how necessary teachers are in the educational development of students. If educators do not believe that all students can succeed, then their students will quit on them because their teachers have given up on their abilities. If students do not feel that their abilities are being fostered by their educators, they will feel inadequate and become unmotivated to learn.

I found that this article was fairly accurate in describing how some school districts treat students who they perceive to be "average" or "under-performing". These schools give every opportunity to the "above-average" students, while leaving the other students to wallow in mediocrity. More learning tools must be given to "average" or "below average" students to reduce the educational learning gap among the population. Instead of separating students based on abilities, classes should include students of all different abilities. This way it could be possible for the "average" or "below average" students to learn not only from the teacher, but from the "above average" students as well. School districts must stop labeling their students based on ability. It makes every student in that district uncomfortable and self-conscious of their skills and their worth. Every child is worth something. No child is worth more then another. The educational learning gap can be reduced, but it will take hard work from the teachers, students, and administrators involved.