Article: “Note to Educators: Hope Required When Growing Roses in Concrete” Author: Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade In the article “Note to Educators: Hope Required When Growing Roses in Concrete,” Duncan-Andrade argues that there needs to be a change in how we teach that will allow for more roses to make it through the crack. Teachers need more time to discuss things that really matter. Having these conversations at faculty meetings or Professional Development days would be a great start. Listening to one of Duncan-Andrade’s TED talks or reading portions of this article together would make for a great conversation. I am moved by this speaker and his words, I think other teachers would feel the same way. Talking points: The significance of teacher-student relationship that “prioritizes the humanization of students above all else” (p.188). Giving students opportunities to hear each other’s stories sends a message that everyone matters and we can support one another in a classroom based o...
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“Stay Woke” and “Mighty Times” The 2 documentaries titled “Stay Woke” and “Mighty Times” showcase how young people are and were truly powerful activists in social movements. In both earlier years and our most recent years, it has been the youth of America that unite together to spread awareness and make changes in policies. While I was watching both documentaries, I witnessed the strong similarities and connections from years ago and now. In “Stay Woke,” the youth uses social media such as Twitter and Facebook to display the truth through live video as well as images and words that send a message and call for action. In “Mighty Times” during 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama the “most racist and the most segregated city in the south," the youth used their own form of social media which was through a radio DJ. They talked in code so that no one even realized the type of movement that was about to take place by the children. The DJ host reminded children that it was going to be D-da...
“Disabilities Studies in Education: The Need for a Plurality of Perspectives on Disability” By: Susan Baglieri, Jan W. Valle, David J. Connor, and Deborah J. Gallagher The authors of this article argue that we need to have more conversations about the meaning of the term “disability” and how a “disability” relates to the social world based on our judgments. Talking points: “Disability is an idea, not a thing. It is not that people do not vary or differ from one another in sometimes very noticeable ways, but to call or think of some of those differences as ‘disabilities’ is to make a social judgement, not a neutral or value free observation” (p.4). The problem is not the “disability,” the problem is our perceptions of the differences. I think that Daniel Kish from the recent podcast would acknowledge that his ‘disability’ is blindness, but it is how others view his difference that determines what he will do with his difference. For example, will he ride a bike to get around or sit ...
How to Become Batman
How to Become Batman NPR In the podcast “How to Become Batman,” Daniel Kish argues that expectations change the way people behave and if we change our expectations, “the blind could come to see.” The podcast starts off by describing how the achievement of rats running through mazes changed based on the expectation or label that was given to them by people as “smart” or “dumb” rats. Could our thoughts regarding a rat’s ability really change how they perform? I think the same question directly relates to how we perceive our students and the expectations we set up in the classroom. The principal from the article by Noguera already had his own expectations about a boy and even mentioned his destiny was prison. How do these expectations from the principal affect the boy? As a literacy intervention teacher, I solely work with students that struggle in literacy. However, it is my job to hold high expectations for all my students in order for them to make progress and succeed. Thi...
Book: Why Are All the Black Children Sitting Together in the Cafeteria Chapters 1 & 2: “Defining Racism” & “The Complexity of Identity” Author: Tatum In chapters 1 & 2, Tatum argues that racism will continue to be an endless cycle unless we start having conversations about race and our identities. Talking Points: “Sometimes the assumptions we make about others come not from what we have been told or what we have seen on television or in books, but rather from what we have NOT been told” (p.4). So often we make assumptions about people when we don’t even know the facts. Why judge when you can have a conversation and learn more about the person instead? Why do people fear having conversations about race? Conversations just get harder and avoided and as a result, people are misinformed or misunderstood. Tatum talks about stereotypes, omissions, and distortions related to the development of prejudice. The metaphor of “the ongoing cycle of racism as a m...
"I am Not Your Negro"
Documentary: “I Am Not Your Negro” Author: James Baldwin Filmmaker: Raoul Peck In the documentary titled “I am Not Your Negro,” the author James Baldwin argues that racism, which was once a part of American society, is still widespread in American life today. Bladwin explains the reality of racism in America by using leaders such as Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcom X who became victims of racism and lost their lives due to having a voice. The film was directed by filmmaker Raoul Peck. Peck illuminates the racist acts of violence by showcasing historical scenes where African Americans were beaten to death by police. Right after these horrific scenes were displayed from years ago, the very next clip was a scene from Ferguson in 2014, showing the same police brutality. White police officers in power shooting innocent African Americans. Honestly, unless you watch closely to the captions at the bottom of the screen that indicate the location and year, the heinous acts...