After a challenging second day at service learning I was ready for anything on my third day. As I walked into the classroom things were going smoothly as they always have with Mrs. Berry finishing up her lesson. For recess we were able to join the kids outside. A kindergardener wanted me to play with him at recess and we ended up running all over the playground and going down each slide. I was fun to be able to have fun and run around with the students because it could take away some of the stress from the day.
I was starting to grow even more closer to this class because I was getting to the know the kids even more that before. Some students were starting to get in trouble and I think some part of it comes with the fact that they are getting more comfortable around the other service learning student and me. They are also starting to talk back to us which is a new challenge to face. One student kept joking around with me when I told him to keep writing. He just laughed and kept goofing off until I finally explained to him that he would get in trouble if he did not sit and work on his writing.
During their usual Friday spelling test I walked around observing each student's test. I was surprised to see some of the students had a hard time with the simplest words. It makes you wonder what it is that makes these students fall behind other students. On the other hand I saw students who seemed too smart for their age. After their test was over the students could draw on the back of their test. One student was drawing the home page of the google website and drew the bottom a of a computer screen with the start button on it. The first thing I thought was that when I was his age I was drawing flowers and animals not the google web page.
After their test was over they got to sit on the big rug in the front of the class and listen to Ms. Carmen read a story to them. She did an excellent job of getting the students involved in the story. The first thing she had them do was determine what the story would be about just by looking at the cover. Many of the students just looked at different objects on the cover and assumed the story would be about that until one student said that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Ms. Carmen asked them questions throughout the book and each student was so eager to answer even if it may have not been the right answer.
The last thing of the day was the learning workshop again. They had the same groups and same activities to participate in. I was in charge of the poetry again but with a different group. This group of students did not struggle that much with their reading skills but had a problem paying attention. I wanted each student to follow along while one read but as I helped a student with a word I would look up to find another student looking in the opposite direction or closing their booklet. It was a struggle to keep each student focused but I managed to have them all following along and reading with the group.
I find myself being tested each week in this second grade classroom but it is building up my patience and helping me learn the proper way to discipline. It is hard for me to be stern with children because I just want to laugh along with them but being a teacher comes with certain responsibilities that I am quickly picking up and understanding each day in this class.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Service Learning Journal 2
I was excited to get into my second day of service learning after the positive experience I had with the first day. I was starting to get to know the kids better and had a feel for how the classroom ran each day. When I got there Mrs. Berry was in the middle of a lesson and then the students went to recess again. Instead of going outside with the students, we stayed inside and got the classroom ready for their learning workshop later in the day.
Once the students were back inside and done eating their snack, they were to take a spelling test. I had to walk around during the test and make sure everyone was on track and were doing the right thing. Everyone seemed to be fine until I glanced at a table away from the other students and two students were working together on their test. I wondered why Mrs. Berry would do this since both students would most likely be copying each others work since they were sitting right next to each other. Although I wanted to, I did not question why this was happening.
Once the tests were done I was asked to collect each paper from the students. When I walked up to the table with these two and asked for their papers. The boy just kept coloring on the back of his test. I was so confused why he wasn't giving me his test and just figured that he was being stubborn so I figured I would come back. Then the little girl who was sitting next to him came up to me and told me that he does not understand English. Instantly it made sense why he did not listen to me. I was a little shocked to know this and wasn't sure how I could handle this. I asked the girl if she could get his paper for me and she did. I'm sure I could have handled this situation better but that was the first thing that came to my mind.
After their spelling test they had learning workshop. The students were in groups of abotu four and went to different stations such as listening to a story on tape, reading big paged books, working on the computers, writing some more, or reading poetry. I was in charge of reading poetry with that group. We went around the circle and each student would read a poem from their October poem booklet. The first student read it very clear and fast but the next student had a harder time reading hers even tho she chose a shorter poem. I tried to have her sound out the words she did not know but she couldn't even sound the words out. I felt so bad and did not want to just give her the word so I helped her out with sounding out the words. I had to be very patient with her but in the end she got through the poem.
This day in service learning, my patience was tested. Whether it was sounding out the words in a poem with a student or finding a good way to ask a student who did not speak English for their spelling test. I know it is good for me to face these challenges because later on I will be experiencing even more difficult challenges that I need to be ready to handle.
Once the students were back inside and done eating their snack, they were to take a spelling test. I had to walk around during the test and make sure everyone was on track and were doing the right thing. Everyone seemed to be fine until I glanced at a table away from the other students and two students were working together on their test. I wondered why Mrs. Berry would do this since both students would most likely be copying each others work since they were sitting right next to each other. Although I wanted to, I did not question why this was happening.
Once the tests were done I was asked to collect each paper from the students. When I walked up to the table with these two and asked for their papers. The boy just kept coloring on the back of his test. I was so confused why he wasn't giving me his test and just figured that he was being stubborn so I figured I would come back. Then the little girl who was sitting next to him came up to me and told me that he does not understand English. Instantly it made sense why he did not listen to me. I was a little shocked to know this and wasn't sure how I could handle this. I asked the girl if she could get his paper for me and she did. I'm sure I could have handled this situation better but that was the first thing that came to my mind.
After their spelling test they had learning workshop. The students were in groups of abotu four and went to different stations such as listening to a story on tape, reading big paged books, working on the computers, writing some more, or reading poetry. I was in charge of reading poetry with that group. We went around the circle and each student would read a poem from their October poem booklet. The first student read it very clear and fast but the next student had a harder time reading hers even tho she chose a shorter poem. I tried to have her sound out the words she did not know but she couldn't even sound the words out. I felt so bad and did not want to just give her the word so I helped her out with sounding out the words. I had to be very patient with her but in the end she got through the poem.
This day in service learning, my patience was tested. Whether it was sounding out the words in a poem with a student or finding a good way to ask a student who did not speak English for their spelling test. I know it is good for me to face these challenges because later on I will be experiencing even more difficult challenges that I need to be ready to handle.
Service Learning Journal 1
The first thing I noticed as I stepped into Mrs. Berry's second grade class was that she had help already from a student teacher. Ms Carmen was walking around the classroom helping students understand what Mrs. Berry was talking about at the time. It was a bit intimidating at first walking into her classroom because I did not know what to expect, but they made me feel right at home once I put my purse down in the back room. As soon as I looked down at the eager, warm, smiling faces on each second grader I became very excited to help out with this class.
I then noticed both teachers using what seemed to be microphones but were hanging around their necks. At first I wondered why a teacher would have something like that in their classroom. As I thought about it, I realized that it is a good way for the students to be able to hear her clearer since some of them may not speak English well. I glanced around the classroom while waiting for Mrs. Berry to finish her lesson to see if there were any international students who may not speak English. There were only a few students who looked like they were not from America but surpringly almost all the students spoke English.
Right away they had recess. The other service learning student (Marla) and I went outside with the students. One student in our class was eager to show me the playground and explain every little detail about it. I was floored by each detail he was giving because I did not realize how smart kids are now.
Once reces was over the students headed back inside and got right back into their writing workshops. I had to walk around and make sure the students came up with ideas to write about and were actually writing about them. I sat by one student and asked him to explain his idea to me that he was writing about and he read me what he had written already. When I looked at his paper I saw that he had capital letters in the middle of sentences and started a few sentences with lowercase letters. I asked him what type of letters you are supposed to start sentences with and he said capital letters and fixed his mistake. Then I asked him if there are supposed to be capital letters in the middle of sentences and he said no and fixed his mistake. As he continued to write, if he made another mistake, he realized it right away and fixed it. I felt really good about being able to help him determine his mistakes and be able to fix them.
My first day of service learning was a bit of a challenge but as I eased into the classroom I felt more and more at home. Mrs. Berry and Ms. Carmen told us exactly what to do and Marla and I were able to help out without any issues.
I then noticed both teachers using what seemed to be microphones but were hanging around their necks. At first I wondered why a teacher would have something like that in their classroom. As I thought about it, I realized that it is a good way for the students to be able to hear her clearer since some of them may not speak English well. I glanced around the classroom while waiting for Mrs. Berry to finish her lesson to see if there were any international students who may not speak English. There were only a few students who looked like they were not from America but surpringly almost all the students spoke English.
Right away they had recess. The other service learning student (Marla) and I went outside with the students. One student in our class was eager to show me the playground and explain every little detail about it. I was floored by each detail he was giving because I did not realize how smart kids are now.
Once reces was over the students headed back inside and got right back into their writing workshops. I had to walk around and make sure the students came up with ideas to write about and were actually writing about them. I sat by one student and asked him to explain his idea to me that he was writing about and he read me what he had written already. When I looked at his paper I saw that he had capital letters in the middle of sentences and started a few sentences with lowercase letters. I asked him what type of letters you are supposed to start sentences with and he said capital letters and fixed his mistake. Then I asked him if there are supposed to be capital letters in the middle of sentences and he said no and fixed his mistake. As he continued to write, if he made another mistake, he realized it right away and fixed it. I felt really good about being able to help him determine his mistakes and be able to fix them.
My first day of service learning was a bit of a challenge but as I eased into the classroom I felt more and more at home. Mrs. Berry and Ms. Carmen told us exactly what to do and Marla and I were able to help out without any issues.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Reading Response
In the article "How Homophobia Hurts Everyone" by Warren J. Blumenfeld, he describes how being homosexual can affect not just that person but the other people in his life. Blumenfeld begins by telling his story of how he used to get teased and mocked when he was in school. This resulted in a separation from his younger sister socially. She could not handle the fact that he was gay and people would also make jokes to her about it.
We do not realize how much homosexuals and their family and friends are hurt and what we can do to prevent it. Blumenfeld's sister just went along with the rest of the students after a while because it seemed to make things easier for her but always ened up hurting her brother in the end. The author makes us think about the different types of homophobia people have and how we might be able to prevent it in the future.
Personal homophobia is when someone personally prejudices against homosexuals and feels they are powerless, should be hated, disturbed and defected. Interpersonal homophobia is when the prejudice begins to affect relationships because of name calling or jokes. This is the case between Blumefeld and his sister. Institutional homophobia is when the government, businesses or education systems intentionally are against this sexual identity. They make their laws and rules specifically against homosexuals so they are unable to get schooling or work in these specific places. This will also affect different relationships between people.
Blumenfeld also discussed affects on heterosexuals that are homophobic. Homophobia can make people unable to have close relationships with others of the same sex. Usually after adolescent years they are encouraged by parents, peers and media to become close with those of the opposite sex. This can also lead heterosexuals to stay within their stereotyped gender. The females cannot be masculine and males cannot be feminine because if there is a slight bit of change they may encounter harrassment. Since heterosexuals may feel this way it will push them to do the harrassing as well.
Throughout this article I have been able to see both sides of how homophobia affects people. It does not have a positive affect on either homosexuals or heterosexuals. Someone is always afraid of being judged or harrassed. If we can overcome the ideal stereotypes then individuals in societies will not have to worry about having to fit in based on their sexual identitiy.
We do not realize how much homosexuals and their family and friends are hurt and what we can do to prevent it. Blumenfeld's sister just went along with the rest of the students after a while because it seemed to make things easier for her but always ened up hurting her brother in the end. The author makes us think about the different types of homophobia people have and how we might be able to prevent it in the future.
Personal homophobia is when someone personally prejudices against homosexuals and feels they are powerless, should be hated, disturbed and defected. Interpersonal homophobia is when the prejudice begins to affect relationships because of name calling or jokes. This is the case between Blumefeld and his sister. Institutional homophobia is when the government, businesses or education systems intentionally are against this sexual identity. They make their laws and rules specifically against homosexuals so they are unable to get schooling or work in these specific places. This will also affect different relationships between people.
Blumenfeld also discussed affects on heterosexuals that are homophobic. Homophobia can make people unable to have close relationships with others of the same sex. Usually after adolescent years they are encouraged by parents, peers and media to become close with those of the opposite sex. This can also lead heterosexuals to stay within their stereotyped gender. The females cannot be masculine and males cannot be feminine because if there is a slight bit of change they may encounter harrassment. Since heterosexuals may feel this way it will push them to do the harrassing as well.
Throughout this article I have been able to see both sides of how homophobia affects people. It does not have a positive affect on either homosexuals or heterosexuals. Someone is always afraid of being judged or harrassed. If we can overcome the ideal stereotypes then individuals in societies will not have to worry about having to fit in based on their sexual identitiy.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
TE 250: Reading Response
The article "Pornography and Men's Consciousness" by Jackson Katz discusses the issues of how pornography affects women and men with self esteem and relationship problems. Jackson begins by saying how difficult it is for people discuss pornography openly because it will offend other people, especially women. He explains how this exploitation of women can lead to men using women or taking advantage of them. This then leads to the downward spiral of women's self esteem.
Men think that the consumption of pornography will have a short term affect on them meaning they will get their pleasure for the time being and move on with their lives. What they do not realize is that their relationships may be affected by this. Most of these women in pornographies were sexually abused, raped or abused as children and have known all their lives that men have that power over them. By watching these films men can get that extra edge over women that they may have not realized they had before. These images have a more powerful affect on how men can relate to women than expected therefore they continue to watch pornography.
It is unfair for women to have to carry around these personal scars and burdens in life. The fact that women are lower than men in society makes women feel like they will never get ahead of men. Women feel that they can gain respect from men by doing these pornographies or magazines but really it is making men lose any respect they had for women in the first place.
Katz notes that men are not biologically born feeling this way about women, but pick up the fascination of pornography from the media. They see shows and ads in the media about different celebrities in pornography or hear other men celebrities saying they wactch and think that it is okay because others are doing it too.
Although celebrities are taking part in this industry it is still not okay for women's self esteem. It will all lead to women comparing themselves to famous celebrities and wanting to have that perfect body because then they will know that men will want to see them without clothing. Men need to start thinking about the younger viewers and how pornography will affect boys and girls as they are growing up.
Men think that the consumption of pornography will have a short term affect on them meaning they will get their pleasure for the time being and move on with their lives. What they do not realize is that their relationships may be affected by this. Most of these women in pornographies were sexually abused, raped or abused as children and have known all their lives that men have that power over them. By watching these films men can get that extra edge over women that they may have not realized they had before. These images have a more powerful affect on how men can relate to women than expected therefore they continue to watch pornography.
It is unfair for women to have to carry around these personal scars and burdens in life. The fact that women are lower than men in society makes women feel like they will never get ahead of men. Women feel that they can gain respect from men by doing these pornographies or magazines but really it is making men lose any respect they had for women in the first place.
Katz notes that men are not biologically born feeling this way about women, but pick up the fascination of pornography from the media. They see shows and ads in the media about different celebrities in pornography or hear other men celebrities saying they wactch and think that it is okay because others are doing it too.
Although celebrities are taking part in this industry it is still not okay for women's self esteem. It will all lead to women comparing themselves to famous celebrities and wanting to have that perfect body because then they will know that men will want to see them without clothing. Men need to start thinking about the younger viewers and how pornography will affect boys and girls as they are growing up.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Media Analysis 2
My second media analysis comes again from Cosmopolitan magazine and is an ad about Jessica Simpson's hair extension collection. The first thing that drew my attention to this page was the fact that it is mostly pink. The back ground, Jessica's outfits, the chairs she is sitting in and even her hair stylist's out fit is pink. Like me, viewers who love the color pink would instantly be drawn to this ad. The color pink makes you feel girly, cute and fun giving the impression that if you have these hair extensions you will feel girly, cute and fun.
Once the viewer looks past the pink in the article they notice Jessica Simpson who is a very famous celebrity and known for being glamorous and beautiful all the time. With such a well known celebrity promoting her very own line of hair extensions makes the viewer want these specific extensions and not just some no name brand because they will feel or look like Jessica. It also says at the top of the page in white letters that these extensions were inspired by Jessica Simpson. The font is in white making it stand out so viewers know these hair extensions are just like Jessica Simpson's natural hair.
Jessica is also very dressed up in her magazine add. In all three poses of Jessica, in this ad, she is wearing a dress, a nice shirt with a skirt and heels on her feet. This could make the viewer feel that they need to be dressed up in order to wear these hair extensions and cannot wear sweat pants or jeans. If Jessica Simspson is not dressed down then the viewer may not know if they can be dressed down while wearing the hair extensions.
The last thing i noticed is that there is only blonde hair extensions shown in this ad. It's as if they forget about the viewers with brown, red, or black hair. If someone with a different color hair were to flip to this page they may completely overlook it because they do not think there is a shade for them because it is not in the ad. These viewers may feel that Jessica Simpson is discriminating against the viewers who do not have the same color hair as her making them not feel as good about themselves because a celebrity will not make a hair extension in their shade of hair color.
With these things in mind, there are different factors in this magazine ad that would either draw the attention of viewers or make them turn the page. Most viewers that would take a look at this article would probably be blondes who like Jessica Simpson because she is someone they look up to and know they are able to wear these extensions and feel girly, cute and fun. The viewers that would overlook this ad would not be fans of Jessica Simpson or feel discriminated against because she does not show shades of different color hair.
Once the viewer looks past the pink in the article they notice Jessica Simpson who is a very famous celebrity and known for being glamorous and beautiful all the time. With such a well known celebrity promoting her very own line of hair extensions makes the viewer want these specific extensions and not just some no name brand because they will feel or look like Jessica. It also says at the top of the page in white letters that these extensions were inspired by Jessica Simpson. The font is in white making it stand out so viewers know these hair extensions are just like Jessica Simpson's natural hair.
Jessica is also very dressed up in her magazine add. In all three poses of Jessica, in this ad, she is wearing a dress, a nice shirt with a skirt and heels on her feet. This could make the viewer feel that they need to be dressed up in order to wear these hair extensions and cannot wear sweat pants or jeans. If Jessica Simspson is not dressed down then the viewer may not know if they can be dressed down while wearing the hair extensions.
The last thing i noticed is that there is only blonde hair extensions shown in this ad. It's as if they forget about the viewers with brown, red, or black hair. If someone with a different color hair were to flip to this page they may completely overlook it because they do not think there is a shade for them because it is not in the ad. These viewers may feel that Jessica Simpson is discriminating against the viewers who do not have the same color hair as her making them not feel as good about themselves because a celebrity will not make a hair extension in their shade of hair color.
With these things in mind, there are different factors in this magazine ad that would either draw the attention of viewers or make them turn the page. Most viewers that would take a look at this article would probably be blondes who like Jessica Simpson because she is someone they look up to and know they are able to wear these extensions and feel girly, cute and fun. The viewers that would overlook this ad would not be fans of Jessica Simpson or feel discriminated against because she does not show shades of different color hair.
Monday, October 13, 2008
TE 250: Reading Response
The section "Night to His Day": The Social Construction of Gender by Judith Lorber explains how the gender process happens and how people in society view gender roles. We do not realize how much we talk or relate to gender acceptances and differences everyday.
The first thing we notice in gender is the symbols such as the color clothing you are wearing or accessories you have on. This happens right when babies are born. People view a child by whether they are wearing blue or pink, earings or no earings, long hair or short. These characteristics determine whether the baby is a boy or a girl in society's eyes. It is uncommon for a boy to wear pink or a girl to wear a baseball cap. Although these children do not realize what gender they are at first, as soon as they begin to speak and walk they call themselves by their gender and begin to realize who they are. with adults.
Although it is common with children, we see adults gendered as well. We would not normally see a father walking with a stroller or carrying a child in a baby sling. When the author observed this she saw a father putting a baseball cap on his child and assumed that the child was a boy but when she looked closer she saw earrings on the child and realized it was a girl. What is most common is for parents to dress their child according to how society would be able to determine whether they have a boy or a girl so there is no confusion.
Another thing that is gendered with adults is their job. Job titles with higher power or position would normally be given to men and the lower titles to women. The jobs of parents also reflect the experiences their children go through which can also help shape their gender role whether it is masculine or feminine. Each job places them in a social class and based on how you live in your social class will change or keep your gender role the same because of changing hormones and passed down genes.
Gender roles are different in each society and culture. In today's culture we have men and women and they are placed in these catagories because of the characteristics they posses. It is becoming more common for transexuals (people having sex changes) or berdaches, hijras and xaniths (men who dress, behave, work and are treated as women). The gender roles in society are changing everyday because of new environments and living situations.
The first thing we notice in gender is the symbols such as the color clothing you are wearing or accessories you have on. This happens right when babies are born. People view a child by whether they are wearing blue or pink, earings or no earings, long hair or short. These characteristics determine whether the baby is a boy or a girl in society's eyes. It is uncommon for a boy to wear pink or a girl to wear a baseball cap. Although these children do not realize what gender they are at first, as soon as they begin to speak and walk they call themselves by their gender and begin to realize who they are. with adults.
Although it is common with children, we see adults gendered as well. We would not normally see a father walking with a stroller or carrying a child in a baby sling. When the author observed this she saw a father putting a baseball cap on his child and assumed that the child was a boy but when she looked closer she saw earrings on the child and realized it was a girl. What is most common is for parents to dress their child according to how society would be able to determine whether they have a boy or a girl so there is no confusion.
Another thing that is gendered with adults is their job. Job titles with higher power or position would normally be given to men and the lower titles to women. The jobs of parents also reflect the experiences their children go through which can also help shape their gender role whether it is masculine or feminine. Each job places them in a social class and based on how you live in your social class will change or keep your gender role the same because of changing hormones and passed down genes.
Gender roles are different in each society and culture. In today's culture we have men and women and they are placed in these catagories because of the characteristics they posses. It is becoming more common for transexuals (people having sex changes) or berdaches, hijras and xaniths (men who dress, behave, work and are treated as women). The gender roles in society are changing everyday because of new environments and living situations.
Monday, October 6, 2008
TE 250: Reading Response
The article "Racism in the English Language" by Robert B. Moore explains how words people use or names used when describing a person of minority can be hurtful. Not only can these words and phrases be hurtful they can also have a major influence on students in the classroom. Children pick up this sort of language and behavior from parents, peers and teachers assuming it is okay to say and do not realize the affect it is going to have on others around them.
Moore discusses the symbolism in culture today. White is always good and black is always bad or "angels are white and devils are black" (Moore pg 166). Society feeds off of media for what is good or bad and right or wrong. In children's movies minorities usually have broken english or can barely speak it at all. This makes the dominant group look down on the minority group and the minority group feel down about themselves. They lose any self acceptance they once had.
In terms of slavery, Moore tries to get the reader to dig down deeper into the text by replacing the word slaver with phrases such as "African people held in captivity" or " Black people forced to work for no pay." By replacing slavery with a much more harsh phrase gives the reader a deeper sense of how badly these people are treated. Slavery is just a word but when u see the real meaning of it you are able to understand the level slaves were at during that time.
These slaves were never given credit for as well. Moore uses an example from Thomas Greenfield as he was on a tour in Monicello. While being given a tour, the tour guide began to discus the architecture in that area. Greenfield noted that "while speaking of the architectural acheivements of Jefferson in the active voice, she unfailingly shifted to (the) passive (voice) when speaking of the work performed by Negro slaves and skilled servants." These people were never given a chance to be greater than what they were because of their skin color and ethnic background. One labeled as a minority they were never given the opportunity to succeed like the dominant white group because they were shut down so badly by the dominant group.
In conclusion, we are unable to completely stop this affect on the minority groups but there are ways to slow it down. Teachers, parents, and peers need to be able to see this affect and help students to stop using the language that is hurting other people.
Moore discusses the symbolism in culture today. White is always good and black is always bad or "angels are white and devils are black" (Moore pg 166). Society feeds off of media for what is good or bad and right or wrong. In children's movies minorities usually have broken english or can barely speak it at all. This makes the dominant group look down on the minority group and the minority group feel down about themselves. They lose any self acceptance they once had.
In terms of slavery, Moore tries to get the reader to dig down deeper into the text by replacing the word slaver with phrases such as "African people held in captivity" or " Black people forced to work for no pay." By replacing slavery with a much more harsh phrase gives the reader a deeper sense of how badly these people are treated. Slavery is just a word but when u see the real meaning of it you are able to understand the level slaves were at during that time.
These slaves were never given credit for as well. Moore uses an example from Thomas Greenfield as he was on a tour in Monicello. While being given a tour, the tour guide began to discus the architecture in that area. Greenfield noted that "while speaking of the architectural acheivements of Jefferson in the active voice, she unfailingly shifted to (the) passive (voice) when speaking of the work performed by Negro slaves and skilled servants." These people were never given a chance to be greater than what they were because of their skin color and ethnic background. One labeled as a minority they were never given the opportunity to succeed like the dominant white group because they were shut down so badly by the dominant group.
In conclusion, we are unable to completely stop this affect on the minority groups but there are ways to slow it down. Teachers, parents, and peers need to be able to see this affect and help students to stop using the language that is hurting other people.
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