Pecha Kucha Script

Ryan Mottram

Mrs. McKamey

12/5/18

Pecha Kucha Script

Introduction

- Me: Ryan Mottram, FNED 346, Sophomore at RIC, ELED/Multidisciplinary major

- Stadium's location: 100 Crescent Ave. Cranston, RI behind Cranston Football Stadium 

- Minority Enrollment/Reduced lunch rate: Over 60% in both

- Surroundings (neighborhood): Dominantly white population, middle-class, houses 

- Mentors: Mrs. Kathleen Perry, Mrs. Salsbury, Mrs. Grism

- Classroom: 3rd grade

- Mascot: Stadium Shark

- More info.: Above average public school, about 350 students currently enrolled

Christensen

-Talks about the use of technology and therefore various electronic devices in schools and whether or not it is beneficial for the education of young students
- Use of electronic devices, such as laptops by students for test-taking and access to Dreambox, which is a website for educational games and activities.
-Use of these devices is monitored by my mentor, Mrs. Perry
-Young students' use of these devices is fine as long as it is monitored frequently by the teacher


Kristof

-Talks about how a student's success is mostly based on the culture they've grown up in, not income
- Dominantly minority enrollment at Stadium
- Despite racial aspects, all students in my class seem very bright for their age and have potential.
-Jaymean, a Hispanic boy I've worked with may struggle with math and reading, but when I work with him he completes the assignments/assessments and gets good grades


Delpit

-  "codes of power"
-  Mrs. Perry gives students "What Checks" if they call out "wait, what?" without raising their hand repeatedly at a time.
    - blue piece of paper with a check on it, not sure what the consequences are exactly
- Personally do not agree with this strategy of power due to their grade and maturity level
- I feel it would be more appropriate to have in middle school because at this age students should know not to call out in class

McIntosh

- Talks about whiteness getting valued more in the larger culture and white leadership in schools
- All of the teachers I've met at Stadium are white
- No unfair treatment of students due to race noticed, as there shouldn't be any


SCWAAMP

- Talks about dominant white privilege is cultures and schools
- There is this one white student in my class, Jacob who acts up a lot and gets a lot of attention by Mrs. Perry and the assistants as a result
- Question of lack of discipline or white privilege?
- I believe it's more of just lack of discipline by the teachers than white privilege, he just gets told to stop instead of being sent to the office of given a conduct notice

Kahne & Westheimer

-Talks about school citizenship and mainly why service learning projects are beneficial for students and future educators
-I have learned new ways of lecturing an elementary level classroom through observing Mrs. Perry's class and her style of teaching
  -my own curriculum, use of technology for games and tests, group readings
-I have also noticed things I'd like to improve on and fix for my future class
   -Disciplinary methods that might be more fair and tests that are challenging but not too difficult

Shor

-Talks about how an established curriculum by the teacher is needed in certain classrooms to encourage school citizenship among its students
-Mrs. Perry seems to have a well-organized curriculum
   -Laptops, use of projector, group readings, activity worksheets
-Not merely textbook, pencil, and paper in the class
-However, I believe some of the tests given could be modified a bit
  -Seem to be a little long and difficult for their age group
  -They don't get tested on some of the readings until almost a week later, which is most likely why some seem to struggle

Rodriguez

-Talks about separation between primary or "home" language and culture and language in schools.
- Also how some student may leave behind their home language to learn another
- Black, Hispanic, Asian student(s) in my class
-All speak English fluently, but I don't doubt some are bilingual
- The Asian boy in my class, Tony is Chinese and he probably speaks Chinese at home with older relatives
-Haven't noticed any struggles of speaking in class or completing assignments with English being either their primary or secondary language.


What Have I Learned?

- Elementary teachers need an established curriculum that makes class fun, entertaining, and encourages students to learn
- These teachers must be enthusiastic to get students engaged, and not just do their job
- Teachers must appeal to the students' age group in the class by implementing fun and educational activities

What Do I Want To Do?

- Elementary school teacher
- Multidisciplinary Studies or Social Studies
- 4th or 5th grade classroom preferably

Who Will I Become?

- A teacher who wants their students to learn and have fun
-  For students to work hard and be kind to one another
- A teacher who will be available for help
- I have had a lot of family and friend support for schooling most of my life, and I want to give back to those young students who may not be as fortunate as I was

Social Justice Events & Blog Log (Final)

Ryan Mottram

FNED 346

Mrs. McKamey

12/4/18

Social Justice Event 1: Pariah

          This drama film is about a 17 year old African-American girl, Alike who lives in Brooklyn with her family and identifies as a lesbian who is seeking a relationship, despite the discrimination and unfairness she endures by others.  Viewing this film has reminded me that we cannot be afraid to embrace ourselves for who we are, despite what even our closest family members may think based on background and culture.  One does not have to be gay or lesbian to understand the lessons this film is trying to portray. 

          There were a few scenes in the film that I noticed stood out the most.  It was sad how Bina expressed her love to Alike physically and then soon after explained to her how she is not actually lesbian and just used Alike for sexual pleasure and experience and told her never to speak of it.  At first, it seemed Alike finally found someone who she could have a comfortable, intimate relationship with who also understood her feelings.  In my opinion, the saddest part of the film was when her mother refused to accept her for who she truly is and reconcile with her before moving to California to attend college.  I believe this could be a Lisa Delpit moment of “codes of power”, due to how her mother is disappointed in her and refuses to accept her any longer for supposedly going against her family’s culture and background with her choice of sexuality.  When she says to her father that she is not running away from fear, but choosing to leave it, it seemed as though she was showing viewers how easy it is to ignore how people may be judging you and live life how you know it should be lived.  

Social Justice Event 2: He Named Me Malala

   This documentary is about a Pakistani female teenager, Malala Yousafzai who fights for the rights of children, even after the Taliban tries to kill her for defending and promoting the education of young women.  Due to her honorable bravery, she becomes the youngest winner of the Nobel Piece Prize in her country.  Undoubtedly, the most brutal and disturbing part of the movie is where Malala gets shot by Taliban members while riding the bus on her way home from school in a valley.  This gruesome attack on her inspired worldwide support for girls’ education.  Malala was fifteen at the time and her and her father Zia were both advocates for these rights of women in their culture.  She is also the co-founder of the Malala Fund and is currently leading a campaign for girls’ education worldwide.  Malala and her family are truly dedicated to fighting for rights of women and girls’ education.  
  
      This film has reminded me how if there is a cause you want to fight for, you must be willing to come out of your comfort zone and reach out to others beyond your community.  I believe this film can be related to Lisa Delpit’s “codes of power” similar to Pariah, due to the fact that Malala goes against her culture’s norms by fighting for equality for girls regarding their education.  I also believe August is present here because of the lack of protection for these females, and as a result not feeling safe in school and if they do not feel safe then they may not succeed or do as well as they could if they did.  Malala also implies how a simple change in school supplies teachers, and protection can change the world for everyone. 

Link to Final Blog Log 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qF6_X7clekXpILeImQNo0jhOHAmz6JmPrHjJjxATpF0/edit 

Shor Response

Ryan Mottram
FNED 346
Mrs.McKamey
12/2/18

Empowering Education: Critical Teaching for Social Change

By: Ira Shor

Quotes:

"To socialize students, education tries to teach them the shape of knowledge and current society, the meaning of past events, the possibilities for the future, and the place in the world they live in." (pg. 14)

This statement reminds me of how I wish to encourage students to be sociable with each other in my classroom.  An elementary school teacher merely reading from a textbook all day is going to make students either misbehave or put their head down and fall asleep.  I will try my best to establish my own curriculum that will suite the capacities of all students in the class  and encourage them to fully participate together.



"While principals, teachers, and textbooks may lecture students on freedom, nonparticipatory classrooms prepare them for the authoritarian work world and political system they will join." (pg.19)

It seems students are more willing to participate in class and learn together at a younger age than in secondary school and college. Despite political matters, teachers should be willing to bring enthusiasm to the classroom in an attempt to make everyone want to consider participating.  Instead of a lecture every class, they could try to create an educational activity involving movement and communication.



"Themes and words from daily life are strong resources for problem-posing.The turn towards student language and perceptions makes this pedagogy a situated model of learning, the fourth value in the agenda." (pg.44) 

Although the backgrounds and resources children are in and have can affect their education, teachers and their quality of lecturing also contribute to these factors.  This statement has reminded me of what I want to accomplish as a future teacher in lecturing young children.  I have worked with young students before and I hope that the children I work with in the future will look up to me the same way I feel these students have.  I plan to establish my own curriculum and even create activities/exercises that will encourage my students to want to learn the subject material.  

Comment/Point to Share:

Throughout middle and high school, I had teachers who simply taught from the textbook and made class boring day after day and I thankfully had teachers who went beyond given textbook material and established their own curriculum to teach the class in a much more entertaining way.  I must say I performed much better and received better grades in the classes where teachers were enthusiastic and had their own method of teaching.  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-JcBFAuLc-0T0ZxUlEwOUNJWlU/view

https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo4034411.html

Oak and Finn Responses

Ryan Mottram
FNED 346
Mrs. McKamey
11/25/18

Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route 

By: Jeannie Oakes

Quotes:

"Heterogeneous groups of students will probably do best in classrooms where the curriculum content is challenging, complex, related to real life and-most of all- rich meaning."

I have heard that it is best for students to be placed where they will be challenged and need to work for the A, but not where they will be overwhelmed.  There are those in high level courses who look down on those in below levels and say that they could be higher also if they just weren't lazy and worked harder, which is partly true and partly false.  For example, there are students who excel in reading/writing course subjects and struggle with math/science courses like me.  Tracking in schools needs to be applied to the placement system properly without having subjects grouped together with others that cause the system to be random and make no sense, which is unfortunately common in some secondary schools. 

"If students of all abilities are to benefit from being taught together, classrooms will probably need to be organized far differently, providing a diversity of tasks and interactions with few "public" comparisons of students' ability."

Students with various abilities and disabilities being placed in the same classroom for subjects does not sound beneficial, but rather chaotic.  Certain students can have pier mentors in average level courses, but those with more serious learning disabilities should be put in separate classrooms so teachers who specialize in that field can work with them through close interactions and appeal to their needs.  Although it may not be best if every student in a school is taught together due to various disabilities, this does not mean they cannot have social interactions with each other through schoolwide activities and other events.  

"One fact about tracking is unequivocal: tracking leads to substantial differences in the day-to-day learning experiences students have at school."

Tracking may be necessary in schools today due to there being students with learning disabilities and in special education, average learners, and then the ones who naturally have above average intelligence.  However, it should be implemented in such a way so that students who mentally and/or physically cannot excel in their subjects as well as other students will not get made fun of or condescended towards, because unfortunately this does happen.  There are certainly students who do not care about their work, do not try, and as a result do not deserve to be in higher level courses, but we also need to keep in mind the special education students and students with minor learning disabilities and satisfy their needs.   

Comment/Point to Share:

I believe a class discussion about whether or not we think tracking and students being taught together or separately to suit individual learning needs would be beneficial for us as future teachers.   

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

Site Connections to Authors & Map of Authors (Final)

Ryan Mottram
FNED 346
Mrs. McKamey
11/18/18

Site Connections 

My Student learning site is in a 3rd grade classroom at Stadium Elementary School in Cranston, Rhode Island.  The school has ratings of over 60% in both minority enrollment population and reduced lunch.  The teacher has me work with a few students in the back of the classroom along with another assistant teacher to help these particular students who require extra attention with math and reading/writing assignments.  I believe my site can be related to Rodriguez's perspective, due to there being students in my class who have diverse backgrounds and most likely speak a second language at home, including the Asian and Hispanic students.  Although these students are thankfully able to learn the material and do well on their work in the classroom, they may not have been able to do as well had they not comprehended the English language as thoroughly as they did at home.  Due to the fact that these young students are able to have access to electronic devices such as laptops and phones, I feel my site can also be related to Christensen's work.  The students are being trusted by the teachers to complete work, and also have fun beyond pencil and paper and are being granted permission to do so weekly.  Lastly, I believe my site can be related to the work of Kristof, due to the fact that the majority of these students are of race-ethnic minority populations and have different backgrounds.  Most of the students I have worked with are doing very well with math and reading/writing, and so I believe they truly have the potential to be successful throughout their school career regardless of racial and/or other aspects that should not matter.  

Mapping of the authors chart link: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uORcrubdNjYPKe20oIS9CATO1snhgXw7GHaPykTv3Hg/edit  

Final Map of Authors chart link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uORcrubdNjYPKe20oIS9CATO1snhgXw7GHaPykTv3Hg/edit 

Response to Kliewer, Varenne, and McDermott

Ryan Mottram
FNED 346
Mrs.McKamey
11/11/18

Culture "as" Disability 

By: Ray McDermott & Herve Varenne

Quotes: 

"A disability may be a better display board for the weaknesses of a cultural system than it is an account of real persons."

Elementary and secondary schools that are not as attentive as they should be to their disabled students and whose teachers or students do not treat them normally with the same amount of respect as they would a normal individual, surely have a disability in their system.  Treating these students the same academically is not so appropriate, due to them struggling to keep up with the pace of the class and potentially being set up for failure.  Treating them the same socially is absolutely necessary and should not be a problem for anyone to do so they can feel like everybody else by fitting in and gaining more motivation to work hard as a result.  The special ed. students I worked with showed more confidence when doing their work and class activities when I or another teachers helped them, because they had someone to look up to and not feel hesitant to ask for help.  

"The easy use of the term suffer often carries an invidious comparison of the "disabled" with those seemingly "enabled" by the conventions of a culture."

Both persons who are mentally and/or physically disabled suffer enough as it is, and others should not cause them to suffer more than they already do.  Every school that offers a special education program should definitely have the resources necessary to appeal to their needs as well as the teachers who are willing to help them.  All elementary and secondary schools should offer special ed. if they do not already.  Rather than comparing disabled and enabled students to see who suffers the most in schools, faculty and staff should take more action by doing their best to equalize the education between the two.  

"Failure is a constant possibility in American schools, and by the dictates of the normal curve, it absorbs about half the students along the way.  Failure is always ready to acquire someone."

I strongly believe failure is only possible if one chooses or allows themselves to fail and/or if others around them do not care and let them fail.  Regarding young and disabled students, it seems failure is only possible if the teachers permit it and do not do their job, due to the amount of attention these teachers are required to give to those students.  It is different with average capacity students in secondary education schools, for they are at the age where they are responsible for their own work and taking initiative to get help from the teacher when needed, and the teachers have multiple students to instruct.  I've worked in an elementary special ed. classroom with two other teachers and when the few students we had needed one-on-one help with math or writing sheets, we gave that to them and made sure they learned how to do the work so failure would not be an option.  

Comment:

I feel a class discussion about what we think regarding mentally and physically disabled students being in separate classrooms or equal in the same classrooms as average capacity students, would be beneficial.   

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mzLNrk6d8WMNzipSieLlf5L-KQxXhSTl/view

Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome

By: Christopher Kliewer

Quotes:

"The presence of a thoughtful mind has been linked to patterns of behavioral and communicative conformity associated with competence in logical-mathematical thinking and linguistic skills."

Just because a student may seriously struggle with mathematics and science does not mean they cannot do well in other courses that tend to focus more on reading and writing.  Students with learning disabilities tend to struggle a lot more with math than subjects such as English and history.  Once the student gets the extra help by an assistant teacher he/she will more than likely understand the material soon afterward.  Most of the students I've worked with who needed extra help and/or had a learning disability were able to retain the information once they had that one-on-one help and understood the work done.      

"School citizenship requires that students not be categorized and separated based on presumed defect."

Regardless of any disabilities, students should be united with their school community one way or another.  Although some students may require extra help with math or even spelling, this does not mean they can't participate in fun class activities with all the other students in the same classroom.  In the elementary school I'm currently working at there are a few students in the class that need extra help, and so I or the other assistant teacher work with them for a bit in the back of the room.  When they are done getting this help they can go play cards or go the laptops to play educational games with the other students.  It should work this way with minor learning disability students in all public elementary schools. 

"Community banishment of students with Down Syndrome stems from their lack of behavioral and communicative conformity to school standards that form the parameters of intellectual normality."

If students with Down Syndrome are not conformed to their community in their youth then it will be even harder for them to fit in socially when they get older. Although they may require extra and private attention academically in order to fully succeed, they should still be permitted to participate in schoolwide activities with the other students.  I must say I have never worked with a student who has Down Syndrome, but if I ever do I might try to communicate with them through writing on paper rather than directly speaking.  Although there may be difficulty communicating with these students verbally, they can still participate in physical activities with other students so there is no sense of exclusion.  

Comment:

Although mathematics and sciences may be the courses that students with these disabilities struggle with the most does not mean they cannot excel in other subjects that require less complex problem solving and more writing or visual learning.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-JcBFAuLc-0bXVmZVR4ODI0RHc/view

  

Brown vs. Board of Edu., Herbert, TAL

Ryan Mottram
FNED 346
Mrs. McKamey
11/4/18

Response to Brown vs. Board of Education, Bob Herbert, and TAL 

Quotes:

"If you really want to improve the education of poor children, you have to get them away from learning environments that are smothered by poverty." 

A lot of families who live in areas and neighborhoods that may be at poverty level cannot afford to move away from their residential place necessarily. Instead, better schools that are well-maintained and offer a good education with caring teachers should be established in these areas so that the children living in them can eventually move on to pursue a good career and have a better life, as their parents are surely hoping for.  There have been good schools established in rough and relatively poverty-level areas in cities throughout parts of the country including in Providence, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, etc. that have allowed kids growing up in them who want to learn excel in honors programs and graduate with a high GPA and attend college as a result of their willingness to work hard, despite backgrounds.  People living in these areas are certainly not asking for private schools due to monetary situations, but just schools easily accessible that offer a good education and safety for their children so they can do much better in life, and if there is a school children will come.



"More than a half-century after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation ruling, we are still trying as a country to validate and justify the discredited concept of separate but equal schools — the very idea supposedly overturned by Brown v. Board when it declared, “Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.”

Surely everyone can agree that all US schools today should be inherently equal without separation.  unfortunately, there are assumptions that the reasons why schools today still seems to be separate and unequal is because the majority of schools in poverty-level and lower class areas tend to be dominantly populated by minorities living nearby and do not offer as good of an education as schools that may be dominantly white with more teachers.  If there are people who believe this problem did not get resolved half a century ago, then it will certainly not resolve itself now.  Teachers can make a difference by treating all of their students the same no matter where the location of the school is and offer the best education possible to all of them.



"Americans’ pursuit of racial justice is a complex story that reveals the weaknesses of the human character, while at the same time affording hope in the triumph of the human spirit."

Racism certainly does not have to be a weakness of human character, and is nothing more than merely a negative concept that others use to insult individuals based on the color of their skin.  Schools are institutions where teachers should be willing to treat all students equally and entirely disregard all negativity regarding racism.  Being an educator is especially an occupation where this should be understood because of the fact that they will be dealing with young innocent children who cannot help their current home life and just want to make friends and even learn.  Helping others is an important part of life, and teachers should especially be willing to do so with children regardless of the color of their skin.


Comment/Point to Share:

Due to the majority of our schools for service learning being half white and half race-ethnic minority populations, I feel having a discussion one class about whether or not all the children in the classroom at our field sites are truly treated equally regardless of race or ethnicity would be beneficial.


https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/opinion/22herbert.html

http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/exhibition/index.html

Kahne and Westheimer

Ryan Mottram
FNED 346
Mrs. McKamey
10/28/18

Response to In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning

By: Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

Quotes:

"The ability of a service learning curriculum is to foster authentic, experience-based learning opportunities, to motivate students, to help students engage in high-order thinking in contextually varied environments, and to promote interdisciplinary studies has led some , such as John Brisco, a leader in the field, to label service learning as "the Trojan horse of school reform"." 

I feel service learning projects in schools is a good way for newcomers in the education field studying to become teachers to learn new ways of how to appeal to certain students in the classroom.  The reason why service learning is "the Trojan horse of school reform" could be because it is an opportunity for future educators to see errors by their mentors in the classroom, whether regarding discipline or curriculum and determine how to correct them.  I believe the three most important things for becoming an elementary ed. teacher are establishing your own curriculum based on material given, enthusiasm, and appealing to the age group of students through fun and educational activities.         

"Citizenship in a democratic community requires more than kindness and decency; it requires engagement in complex social and institutional endeavors." 

Service learning in schools surely satisfies and fulfills this engagement in complex social and institutional situations.   I believe teachers establishing their own curriculums in the classroom helps promote school citizenship by making class entertaining and encouraging students to learn and work together.  Since this article addresses the importance of curriculum and citizenship, I believe Shor's work is relevant here because she explains how a curriculum determines the outcome of a classroom.  At my service learning site, my mentor goes beyond pencil and paper with use of projector, group projects, and online activities and I wish to implement some of those methods as a future educator.  

"If we focus on the "numerous values we share as a community", writes Amitai Etzioni, the founder of the communitarian movement and a proponent of service learning, "our world would be radically improved"." 

The values members of a community share amongst each other certainly need to be implemented in public school classrooms by teachers who are with students for about 6 hours 5 days a week.  At my site placement, I have noticed that the third grade students are certainly mature enough to take initiative when needed.  It could be the smallest deed, such as if a student drops and/or spills something another student will help them before a teacher has the chance to walk over and do so.  If public school students learn and recognize true maturity and respect for others during their youth, then these schools can continue to be full of values a community shares.   

Comment/Point to share:

I feel having a class meeting where we discuss what methods we have used so far in helping students during our service learning sessions would be beneficial.  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-JcBFAuLc-0Uk96Z2g3NDI2bkU/view
http://www.utahciviccoalition.org/downloads/IntheServiceofWhat.pdf

August response

Ryan Mottram
FNED 346
Mrs. McKamey
10/21/18

Safe Spaces: Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT Youth
By: Gerri August  

Quotes:

"Curriculum, the word we use to mean a course of study, is derived from the Latin word currere, "to run", specifically to run a race. And, of course, when there is a race, there are winners and there are losers." (pg.85)

I feel that young students learn material presented to them better when teachers have their own curriculum they use to teach the subject instead of strictly going by the way a textbook explains topics of it.  I remember in middle and high school I had teachers who did either of these two methods, and I believe I did better in the ones where the teachers gave in a little more effort and enthusiasm by creating their own way to teach the material to us.  For example, I remember in middle school when I had the same English teacher 6th and 8th grade, but a different one for 8th grade.  The one for 6th and 8th strictly tested us on random facts from the textbook out of order, so her tests made no sense half the time and I did not do as well in those two classes as I did in my 7th grade English class, where I understood the material so much better because the teacher went out of her way to explain readings and English mechanics by giving us multiple examples on how to identify certain parts of a sentence or reading passage.  I remember completing her tests so easily and struggling with the other's tests as if the class was just a big nuisance.  I believe August is saying that if teachers are to create their own curriculum in attempt to appeal to the students' ages more than a textbook will, then all of them will be able to comprehend information about the subject more that they can use to do well on tests and for classes in upcoming grades.  




"Assumptions, if left unchallenged and unexamined, can devolve into active bigotry. Bigotry is a heat-seeking missile- it will find its target." (pg. 88)

Throughout my years in especially elementary and middle school, I have had teachers who seemed like they just assumed all the students knew the material and so did not bother to be available either before or after school for some extra help.  I believe bigotry can be related here to how teachers of young children make these assumptions.  Teachers should not only be vigilant in the hallways to make sure everyone gets to class safely and no bullying is taking place, but also in the classroom to carefully see if there is a student or two struggling with the material.  A lot of kids are shy to raise their hand during class and say how they need help and do not understand the material in especially elementary school, and so these teachers should be willing to go the extra mile when they only have about fifteen-twenty students to be responsible for daily.  



"Far from what the children's chant would have us believe, words are sticks and stones. And those sticks and stones can either build bridges or break bones." (pg.95)

Even with young children in schools, actions speak louder than words and teachers try to explain this to their students as parents are also trying to get their kids to understand this at home.  However, public schools do not have as much initiative as we may think, and so once a student is bullied or a fight breaks out between two or more kids then teachers try to explain this concept to them and by then it may be too late.  People who especially teach grades k-5 and even say 6th grade need to remember to also branch out of their subject material to remind students of the values of life and how to deal with problems in a mature way.  It is commonly said that in life about 5-10% is what happens to you and the remaining 90-95% is how you deal with it.

Comment/Point to Share:

Perhaps a class discussion on whether each of us think a teacher's own curriculum or a textbook's method of teaching certain subjects to young children is beneficial, along with sharing experiences of them if we can recall.  

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

Christensen

Ryan Mottram
FNED 346
Mrs. McKamey
10/9/18

Response to Unlearning the Myths that Blind Us 

By: Linda Christensen

Quotes:

"True death equals a generation living by rules and attitudes they never questioned and producing more children who do the same." (Justine, Christensen 129)

This quote by Justine from The Empire's Old Clothes presented by Christensen seems to be implying what freedom should be in a way and that there should not be so much limitation on how to teach young children the ways of life, so that they can grow to be better educated and more mature than the previous generation. Children must also learn that there may be times where questioning something or someone, even of authority is the right thing to do in order to stand up for friends, family, and others.  Young students should be able to look up to the teacher(s) of a classroom as a friend, and in some cases a second parent depending on the current situation at home.  I believe that is a special part about specifically being an elementary school teacher, which is to maintain a friendly relationship with the 15-20 or so students they are responsible for 6 hours a day 5 days a week beyond classroom subject material.     

"Children's cartoons, movies, and literature are perhaps the most influential genre "read"." (Christensen 127)

Unlike high school and even middle school students who will sleep during a video in class, elementary students are much more energetic during the day I would say, and watching educational cartoon videos and movies every now and then will capture their attention.  In order for young children to want to learn in the classroom, the teacher(s) have to appeal to their age group and senses.  Christensen noticed that these students were attentive and more willing to learn when videos were playing in class.  I remember in 2nd and 3rd grade when there would be days of just completing various small worksheets for each subject, which was boring and tiring even though pretty simple.  Then there were the times we did writing activities based on Disney videos/movies and other small audio presentations that encouraged us to try harder on the work.  

"I start by showing students old cartoons because the stereotypes are so blatant. We look at the roles women, men, people of color, and poor people play in the cartoons.  I ask students to watch for who plays the lead. I encourage them to look at the race, station in life, body type of each character." (Christensen 129)

Although I feel having young students identify stereotypes in cartoons that may appeal to their sense of learning is not perhaps the most appropriate thing, it is good for these students to see videos that tend to have diversity.  I remember in 4th grade when my teacher had us watch a video on Martin Luther King Jr. that explained and gave a visual for everything from early childhood to the Civil Rights Movement. Although a rather serious documentary and not a comedic cartoon, the video was still more entertaining and even educational than doing a worksheet on MLK.  I recall in 4th grade that one subject we did not do very often was history, and I feel that for this subject in elementary school especially, kids should be shown videos more than worksheets and maybe even complicated readings for that matter.    

Comment/Point to Share:

I feel that using cartoons and kids' movies can be greatly beneficial when trying to appeal to elementary students in the classroom, especially when trying to teach life lessons and values.  Perhaps a class discussion on whether each of us would use this method as elementary education teachers or not to get students to want to participate in class, would be beneficial for schooling in the future.  

  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-JcBFAuLc-0NEFOT1BJZXVnZnM/view 

Rodriguez

Ryan M
FNED 346
Ms. McKamey
9/30/18

Aria

By: Richard Rodriguez 

Reflection: 

It seems to me this article was mainly about a student, Rodriguez who at first had little to no interest in learning a second language, but then instantly studied and learned the English language and became appreciative of being able to be a bilingual person.  The first thing this article made me think of was my foreign language experience. For many years, throughout elementary, middle, and high school I took Spanish like many other students my age, enjoyed it for the longest time, and was excelling in it by getting good grades and moving up in class level.  Unfortunately, Junior year Spanish did not go very well due to difficulty of the course level and time management between other courses.  I had lost all interest in taking Spanish anymore and so was satisfied with taking it three years in high school.  I thought my Espanol career was over, but then after freshmen year of college I found out I had to take at least one or two semesters of a language.  I am sure this was a surprise to many students here at RIC, and not necessarily a very pleasant one.  I was told in high school that if I did three years of a language I would not have to take one in college.  Unfortunately, it seems a lot of high school and college students grow to despise foreign language because of how much we are forced to take it.  The attitude Rodriquez's family and he initially has towards being bilingual is what we tend to develop after taking the language longer than we really should have to.  In college, no none wants a repeat of high school, but rather to focus on whatever their major may be and spend quality time studying for those related courses.  The foreign language requirement encourages a repeat of high school if you ask me.  However, I do appreciate all the Spanish knowledge I have obtained through middle and high school.  Unfortunately, it has come to the point where I feel I am wasting my time taking Spanish still, as it is so far a lot easier here than high school, and I'm sure many other students feel the same way.  There are plenty of students who constantly switch their majors, have to retake general ed. courses and as a result have to stay a few extra semesters and years, and so the language requirement can surely get in the way.  There may be students who disagree with me and think taking a few semesters of a second language in college is beneficial, whether being one's major or not.  Maybe it is for the better of my education in the future, but all I can say is that I cannot wait to be done with Spanish so I can just focus on my major, which is what I came here for more than anything and complete all required courses in a reasonable amount of time.  

Comment:

Perhaps a brief discussion one class meeting about whether all students in elementary and secondary schools with average in-class capacities should have to take a foreign language, and if they should be permitted to decide to stop after a certain point even before high school to further focus on subjects they may be having trouble with such as math, science, or English, would be beneficial.  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-JcBFAuLc-0MW5DdnZyVnpGSHc/view

Kozol and All Lives Matter

Ryan M
FNED 346
Ms. McKamey
9/23/18

Amazing Grace: The lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation  

By: Jonathan Kozol

Quotes:

"I believe that we were put here for a purpose, but these people in the street can't see a purpose.  There's a whole world out there if you know it's there, if you can see it.  But they're in a cage. They cannot see."

As a Roman Catholic, I do believe God has put me on this earth for a mission to be fulfilled for the better of myself and my family, however that is entirely up to me to complete it and I do wish to pursue it.  It should not matter what religion one may be, for everyone is put on this earth to make the best of themselves at whatever it is they want to do.  A pursued career should not be the act of selling your own body to another for their own sexual pleasure and your misery, with just the thought of making money off of it.  It does not matter what religion you are or whether you believe there's a higher power or not, if you need help you are more than welcome to it.  Church's are open to everyone and priests are always there to hear all the positives and negatives going on in your life and to help give solutions for a better one, for they are normal human beings too.

"The dealers are sometimes jittery.  They look at you with this strange smile.  It's as if they're laughing at their lives- and yours."

I have honestly never taken drugs, and do not necessarily have anything against certain drugs such as marijuana either. Some people who take these drugs can get hooked enough to where they become a whole different person and might commit crime to be able to afford more of it and soon pressure others into trying it.  I have heard a few times that teachers are looked at as almost second parents and so should be able to give students advice on these matter if they have careless parents whether the students want to hear it, or if the teachers are seeing possible signs of addiction.

"In one of the most diseased and dangerous communities in any city of the western world, the beautiful old stone church on St. Anne's Avenue is a gentle sanctuary from the dangers of the streets outside." 

I believe the old church of St. Anne's explained in this quote by Kozol is an example of what schools are supposed to be for all students, especially those who may have a rough life in the household or neighborhood.  Every school that may be in an area where crime is frequent should act as a sanctuary for kids who are just trying to have a good day, make friends, and go to school, and also for their parents to ensure that their children are safe.  Personally, I am not in favor of the solution that teachers and other faculty should be armed.  Rather, schools that may be located in areas with bad reputations should greatly improve security measures, and there are in fact dangerous schools throughout the country that have implemented measures such as security guards and more cameras that are becoming more safe everyday.  

Comment:

Perhaps a brief discussion one class meeting about whether or not elementary or secondary teachers are necessarily permitted to talk with students about personal matters in their life such as how they feel about their parents' occupations, life-risking choices they may have made such as with drugs or alcohol, and where they feel safe within their surroundings, would be beneficial.



https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-JcBFAuLc-0Ml9vUkdMdFdoNDg/view

Splinter News: 'All Lives Matter'

By: Kevin Roose

Quotes:

"And so saying "all lives matter" as a direct response to "black lives matter" is essentially saying we should just go back to ignoring the problem." 

It does seem that in fact "all lives matter" is drawing people away from the unfairness done to African Americans and is causing them to be primarily concerned about middle and high class white citizens.  "All lives matter" should be concerned for all those currently facing unfairness and discrimination nationwide including blacks, Hispanics, and Muslims.  I feel the way schools can help this issue is by making their environment inside the building welcoming towards all students, disregarding whether their life falls under "All lives Matter" by society standards or not.  

"Culture, laws, the arts, religion, and everyone else repeatedly suggest that all lives should matter.  Clearly, that message already abounds in our society."

In our society there are examples of true equality for all out there, including church's I have seen and been to having signs that say "All are welcome".  It is outrageous how in a country such as America, a simple slogan can be misinterpreted and exclude certain groups of people, one that is trying to promote equality.  As for younger generations, I feel a beneficial way schools can deal with this issue is to continue to encourage students to work together and make friends all over, and treat their students the same when it comes to extra help or discipline.  

"Imagine you are sitting down to dinner with your family, and while everyone gets a serving of the meal, you don't get any.  So you say, "I should get my fair share." And as a direct response to this, your dad corrects you saying, "Everyone should get their fair share"." 

I feel this example of unfairness could be related to how teachers should be available before and/or after school for additional help in a subject.  Not every student in a classroom has the same capacity as the next and so help should be available for them if they cannot learn the material as quickly.  Extra help seems to be an issue in public schools more than private schools, even though teachers in public schools tend to get paid more.  Not all students in public schools have the best or most fair home life, and so the least a school can do is help a student with certain work, especially if they are taking initiative on their own and asking for it.  

Comment/Point:

Perhaps a class discussion on whether or not these topics regarding equality, black lives and lives of other races being just as important as whites, and America proving the message of  "all lives matter", should be brought into more secondary education level classes including in middle and high school to see if younger generations of students can understand it more and come up with better solutions for the future.  

https://splinternews.com/the-next-time-someone-says-all-lives-matter-show-them-1793849332

  

Kristof

Ryan M

FNED 346

Ms. McKamey 

17 September 2018

U.S.A, Land of Limitation? By: Nicholas Kristof

Response to Kristof's Reasoning

  Quotes:

"The best metrics of child poverty aren't monetary, but rather how often a child is read to or hugged." (Kristof pg. 4)

The bottom line when it comes to children is that no matter how rich their parents may be, they will not receive a good or at least decent education unless the parents send them to school or homeschool them on their own by reading to them and explaining their mistakes on paper.  Also, if a child is showed very little to no love by the parents, he/she may not have motivation to do well in the early stages of their life.  I can honestly say that if my parents never did what they have done for me including sending me to good schools, teaching me right from wrong, helping me with work, and listening to me whenever I was upset about something, I wouldn't have turned out to be who I am today and I might not have even gotten this far in my academics.  A loving and caring relationship between the parents and children is far more important than parents throwing material possessions at them with no limitation or discipline.  

"Some think success is all about "choices" and "responsibility"." (Kristof pg. 5)

What one chooses to do in various situations with possibly serious outcomes and whether they choose to be responsible with their reputation and health or not are very serious matters that can determine the future.  For those who may have had rough childhoods, similar to Rick, with lack of relationship with parents, discipline, and loving and caring, it can certainly be difficult to make the right choices and be responsible all the time.  I feel those who are fortunate enough to have families who teach them right from wrong including myself and many others I know should be willing to help others who struggle with making good choices, for we all tend to encounter those with challenges and even face them ourselves.  Even though you can still be successful with a reputation of being a jerk or coward, it's much more worth while being successful through hard work and inspiring others.  

"Success is not a sign of virtue." (Kristof pg. 5)

It seems that everyone in this world must develop the urge to work for what they want and not be granted everything they desire one way or another.  In today's world we have the power and opportunity to be successful at things such as a certain career or parent regardless of social class, race, religion, or gender, especially in the United States of America.  I believe that if success was only a sign of pure virtue, then a lot of people I know would not be as successful as they have made themselves to be over many years of hard work.  

Comment:

 I feel it would be beneficial if we took time during a class to seriously discuss what is absolutely necessary for children to be just as, if not more successful than their parents. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-usa-land-of-limitations.html 

about me

Who is Ryan??

Hello everyone, 

My name is Ryan, and I am a sophomore here at RIC.  Declaring a major has been a rather difficult decision for me over the past year due to having different interests including speech pathology, sociology, and teaching.  I must say I am heading towards education the most and may want to teach history, english, or physical education, however I'm not sure whether I want to do elementary or secondary ed..

Aside from school, I had a very fun and relaxing summer.  I worked over at Dave's Marketplace Seafood in Coventry.  I also made time to hang out with old friends from high school and spend quality time with relatives I don't get to see very often.  I enjoy hobbies and activities such as exercising, fishing, golfing, bowling, basketball, swimming, and playing cards and games.  

Unfortunately, this summer there was no time to take a vacation as I do most summers with family members.  Next summer I am going on a Disney Cruise with some relatives however, which should be a very exciting time.  Every winter break I go to New York City with my grandparents, which is always a great time.  I must say I am also greatly looking forward to turning 20 years old soon.  

Thank you for listening, and I hope to add some memorable photos of myself very soon!