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!