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