To be completely honest, I'm not sure if I want to teach just yet. I know for a fact that I do want to teach, but I look at teaching as the job I'll take on when I'm ready to settle down and live somewhere for the rest of my life. So to say that these classes have shaped my ideas towards my chosen career would be to say that I've chosen a career. They have certainly broadened my knowledge of the profession of teaching, in what it entails and what to expect.
Nothing about the school, the major, or the classes have had any negative impact on my views of education. Everyone and everything have been so informative and helpful. This is really just a personal thing. I mean, my view might change over the next few years, who knows. But as I see it right now, teaching would be the final product, not the beginning. I feel like I would make a much more effective teacher if I have been out in the world, and had a ton of different experiences, so that I may tie them all into the classroom.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Blog E: Diversity
Growing up in Lynn, Massachusetts, my education was very diverse. As Lynn is a diverse, fairly urban community, I never though much of it. Everyone, from the students to the teachers, understood that not everyone grew up the same way, or celebrated the same holidays. It came to it that, in high school, when a teacher would ask a question with a racial or ethnic background, it would be fairly awkward. He or she would recieve looks as if everyone in the class was saying, 'Yeah, we know we're different. There's no real need to talk about it." To some extent, I agree with them. Sometimes it's more important, if the group handles diversity positively already, to focus more on the cohesive aspects. Most of the time it's more important to find the likenesses in cultures than point out the differences.
Even in Lynn, however, there have been troubles with diversity. Several years ago, schools rejected students because of their race, ironically, because of a 34 year of desegregation law. The law allowed schools to assign students based upon race, put in effect to reduce segregation. The students were rejected because they would have upset the diversity ratios.
I believe that diversity should be taught, but, as stated above, from a cohesive standpoint. I think schoold should teach more about the similarities between cultures, to further prove that regardless of culture, we are all living on the same planet, and are all of the same species. The individual cultures shouldn't be neglected as such, and I do believe that personal heritage is very important, but sometimes teaching the "differences" aspects of diversity can lead to further segregation.
Even in Lynn, however, there have been troubles with diversity. Several years ago, schools rejected students because of their race, ironically, because of a 34 year of desegregation law. The law allowed schools to assign students based upon race, put in effect to reduce segregation. The students were rejected because they would have upset the diversity ratios.
I believe that diversity should be taught, but, as stated above, from a cohesive standpoint. I think schoold should teach more about the similarities between cultures, to further prove that regardless of culture, we are all living on the same planet, and are all of the same species. The individual cultures shouldn't be neglected as such, and I do believe that personal heritage is very important, but sometimes teaching the "differences" aspects of diversity can lead to further segregation.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Blog C: Influential Educators
B.F. Skinner
Born in 1904 on March 20th, Burrhus Fredrick Skinner grew up in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. He lived with his father, mother, and younger brother, who died at the age of 16. An industrious and active child, he was constantly building contraptions. B.F. attended Hamilton College, achieving a BA in English.
For graduate school, Skinner enrolled in the Psychology Department of Harvard. While studying there, he developed the theory of operant behavior, which states that “a behavior followed by a reinforcing stimulus results in an increased probability of that behavior occurring in the future.” Skinner created teaching machines for student that used this manner of thinking. The machines would at first, break up the material into small steps, providing lots of help. As the student’s performance improved, less and less help was given, until no help was needed.
In 1990, on August 18, B.F Skinner passed away due to leukemia. Though a shade different, Skinner’s machines are still used today, through computers and the use of the internet. Skinner’s work has recently been used to make breakthroughs in helping children with autism communicate and learn effectively.
Paulo Freire
Paulo Freire was born on September 19, 1921 in Recife, a city in Brazil. His theories on education started to grow when he became a parent of three daughters and two sons. He abandoned his study of law in the University of Recife to become a welfare official and then the director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Social Service in Pernambuco. It was in this position that he established a report with the urban poor community, and developed a method for adult education.
Freire’s theory was based on dialogue. He believed that it was important to a student’s learning that a respectful dialogue was established, and that the teacher and student work together to achieve knowledge. He used this method to persuade the Brazilian peasants of the time to learn to read and write, in order to have a say in the political turmoil that Brazil was in at the time.
Freire was jailed and then exiled due to his methods, viewed as subversive and radical. Living in Chile, Freire worked with adult education programs, and therefore had a hand in the acknowledgement by UNESCO that Chile became one of top five nations that had best succeeded in overcoming illiteracy. He taught as a visiting professor at Harvard in the late 1960’s in the Center for Education and Development. Freire was invited to return to Brazil in 1979 to serve on the faculty of the University of San Paulo, and in 1988, and later became the Minister of Education for San Paulo.
Paulo Freire died at the age of 75 on May 2, 1977.
Sources:
B.F. Skinner
http://www.bfskinner.org/bio.asp
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhskin.html
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/skinner.html
Paulo Freire
http://www.edb.utexas.edu/faculty/scheurich/proj3/freire1.html
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-freir.htm
http://www3.nl.edu/academics/cas/ace/resources/paulofreire.cfm
Born in 1904 on March 20th, Burrhus Fredrick Skinner grew up in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. He lived with his father, mother, and younger brother, who died at the age of 16. An industrious and active child, he was constantly building contraptions. B.F. attended Hamilton College, achieving a BA in English.
For graduate school, Skinner enrolled in the Psychology Department of Harvard. While studying there, he developed the theory of operant behavior, which states that “a behavior followed by a reinforcing stimulus results in an increased probability of that behavior occurring in the future.” Skinner created teaching machines for student that used this manner of thinking. The machines would at first, break up the material into small steps, providing lots of help. As the student’s performance improved, less and less help was given, until no help was needed.
In 1990, on August 18, B.F Skinner passed away due to leukemia. Though a shade different, Skinner’s machines are still used today, through computers and the use of the internet. Skinner’s work has recently been used to make breakthroughs in helping children with autism communicate and learn effectively.
Paulo Freire
Paulo Freire was born on September 19, 1921 in Recife, a city in Brazil. His theories on education started to grow when he became a parent of three daughters and two sons. He abandoned his study of law in the University of Recife to become a welfare official and then the director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Social Service in Pernambuco. It was in this position that he established a report with the urban poor community, and developed a method for adult education.
Freire’s theory was based on dialogue. He believed that it was important to a student’s learning that a respectful dialogue was established, and that the teacher and student work together to achieve knowledge. He used this method to persuade the Brazilian peasants of the time to learn to read and write, in order to have a say in the political turmoil that Brazil was in at the time.
Freire was jailed and then exiled due to his methods, viewed as subversive and radical. Living in Chile, Freire worked with adult education programs, and therefore had a hand in the acknowledgement by UNESCO that Chile became one of top five nations that had best succeeded in overcoming illiteracy. He taught as a visiting professor at Harvard in the late 1960’s in the Center for Education and Development. Freire was invited to return to Brazil in 1979 to serve on the faculty of the University of San Paulo, and in 1988, and later became the Minister of Education for San Paulo.
Paulo Freire died at the age of 75 on May 2, 1977.
Sources:
B.F. Skinner
http://www.bfskinner.org/bio.asp
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhskin.html
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/skinner.html
Paulo Freire
http://www.edb.utexas.edu/faculty/scheurich/proj3/freire1.html
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-freir.htm
http://www3.nl.edu/academics/cas/ace/resources/paulofreire.cfm
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Blob B: The Old Deluder Satan Act
The Old Deluder Satan Act, founded in 1647, established that if a town reached over 50 families, a teacher had to be hired to instruct writing and reading. If it was over 100 families, a "grammar" school was needed, which basically served as a college preparatory school. The Act was established in order for children to learn to read. It was thought that if one could not read, then they would not know how t0 read the bible. If one couldn't read the bible, then they would surely fall to the devil.
To become a teacher in those days, the only requirements you really had were that you had to know how to read and write, you believed in the Church , and that you were loyal to the crown. The interesting thing is synonymous with today, teachers were paid fairly poorly. They received some food, maybe a cow or a pig, and in the winter time they were given wood to fuel the classrooms.
Education since then has become separate from religion. with the separation of church and state. Children no longer learn to read in fear of the devil. We now educate our children so that they may succeed in the world. I think it's safe to say that the United States have come a long way in education since then, though that might be an understatement.
Sources:
http://historyeducationinfo.com/edu1.htm
http://personal.pitnet.net/primarysources/deluder.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002606/1600s.html
To become a teacher in those days, the only requirements you really had were that you had to know how to read and write, you believed in the Church , and that you were loyal to the crown. The interesting thing is synonymous with today, teachers were paid fairly poorly. They received some food, maybe a cow or a pig, and in the winter time they were given wood to fuel the classrooms.
Education since then has become separate from religion. with the separation of church and state. Children no longer learn to read in fear of the devil. We now educate our children so that they may succeed in the world. I think it's safe to say that the United States have come a long way in education since then, though that might be an understatement.
Sources:
http://historyeducationinfo.com/edu1.htm
http://personal.pitnet.net/primarysources/deluder.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002606/1600s.html
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Blog A: A Lesson Learned
People have always told me that I’m good with children, and that I’ve always cared for those younger than me. From the age of three, I would look after my baby brother. I even helped give him his first bath. In daycare, I looked after the littler ones, I was the voice of concern and reason when the parents weren’t around. I also just realized that I’m making myself out to be some saint-like wonderchild. This is obviously very far from the truth. While I was the voice of reason in a world of rugrats, the reason extended only as far as “Let’s not dig to China in Mommy’s flowers, let’s dig in the front yard.” Yet I seemed to keep us one step removed from punishment. The consequences rarely exceeded listening to “At least you didn’t dig in the flowers…”
For a while, I never really thought much about what I was doing. It just seemed like the right thing to do, that I should be looking after the littler ones. From age five to age sixteen I stayed in that frame of mind, looking after little kids, whether they be my cousins, friend’s siblings, or campers at the sleep away camp where I worked and still work. In that time period however, it became less about looking after children, and more about making sure I was noticed looking after children. It became self-gratification. The lesson I had to learn was that it was about children, and not about me. That lesson was learned in Mexico.
In the 10th grade, I travelled with a group run by teachers from my school to Juarez, Mexico to build houses for 5 days. For everyone involved, it was a heavy ordeal, rife with realization and life affirming experiences. I think the best way to convey the lesson I learned is through a passage I wrote about a week after, when I was back home. The following is word for word what I wrote a little under 3 years ago.
“Today my History teacher asked me if I could die unashamed because of what I did in Mexico. I said sort of. That was a lie. What they don’t know is that there is a little boy living in Mexico right now on the edge of civilization who doesn’t even know his own birthday. His name is Kevin, and he deserves so much more. We weren’t building him a house, but his neighbors. He could have been like the other neighborhood kids and just asked for candy and money. He wasn’t, and he didn’t. He helped us. He did anything we asked of him, and without complaint. He only spoke a little English, which was more than the rest of his family, and yet he communicated anyhow. For a while he only talked to Amy, but then he started to follow me around. He would try to tell me things, for instance, he told me his full name. I wish I was paying closer attention, because I can’t remember it now. It hurts me that I can’t remember. It feels like I failed him somehow. He also told me that he spoke better English than his mother. I can remember that exactly. It went like this:
Kevin: My mother is a little English.
Me: She is?
Kevin: My mother is a little English, but I am more English.
Me: Oh ok, I understand. Good job Kevin!
I meant it. I tried to teach him some other English while I was there. I taught him “drill”, “nail”, “screw”, “gloves”, “mask”, and “hammer”. I know he can write, at least his name. He signed it along with us on the inside of the drywall. At the end of Day 3 he asked if I was coming back the next day. Being the idiot that I am, I said yes, because I thought we would stop by to collect the tools. But we didn’t. We did come back later that night though. Me and Jill made him a card, and Rich got all the kids balls to play with. As the night progressed, after the last group prayer, I knelt down and this happened:
Me: Kevin, amigos?
Kevin: Si, amigos!
That made me feel so good. I was pretty thankful to everyone else for letting me have that moment also. Later on, I guess as a show of our friendship, me and Kevin had a dirt clod fight. He hit me pretty hard in the head a few times. A great shot for a 7 year old in the dark. I need to talk to Mrs. Winchell about doing something for him, because he made me realize what it was I was really doing: helping people and changing their lives. That little boy deserves so much and yet he has so little. He is pure of heart and soul, he has what it takes to get out of Juarez.
Why do I, so undeserving of what I have, get to live the better life? How come Kevin has to suffer while I live in luxury? Why couldn’t it have been the reverse? Kevin could have become a little punk, asking us for money or candy and calling us gringos or gringas, but he, of such a pure heart, rose above that, and became my friend. I don’t know how or what I’ll do, but I need to help that little boy succeed in life, and become a great man, although he needs no help with it. If I need to, I will move down there with him. I love him that much.”
The saddest part of the story is that I was never able to reach any means of doing this. I have no idea where Kevin is at this point, and I know it may be naïve to think so, but I like to hold onto the idea that he never changed. I choose to think that he remained as selfless and pure as I remember him.
The lesson I learned was that I don’t need people to see that I am doing a good job. What I need is to see the children under my care succeed and become the people they are capable of becoming. Kevin showed me the meaning of purity of heart and soul, of true kindness and friendship. If I can teach anyone else of this, if I can spread this meaning to the children I teach…I don’t know. I don’t know what will happen. All I know is that the world needs more Kevins.
For a while, I never really thought much about what I was doing. It just seemed like the right thing to do, that I should be looking after the littler ones. From age five to age sixteen I stayed in that frame of mind, looking after little kids, whether they be my cousins, friend’s siblings, or campers at the sleep away camp where I worked and still work. In that time period however, it became less about looking after children, and more about making sure I was noticed looking after children. It became self-gratification. The lesson I had to learn was that it was about children, and not about me. That lesson was learned in Mexico.
In the 10th grade, I travelled with a group run by teachers from my school to Juarez, Mexico to build houses for 5 days. For everyone involved, it was a heavy ordeal, rife with realization and life affirming experiences. I think the best way to convey the lesson I learned is through a passage I wrote about a week after, when I was back home. The following is word for word what I wrote a little under 3 years ago.
“Today my History teacher asked me if I could die unashamed because of what I did in Mexico. I said sort of. That was a lie. What they don’t know is that there is a little boy living in Mexico right now on the edge of civilization who doesn’t even know his own birthday. His name is Kevin, and he deserves so much more. We weren’t building him a house, but his neighbors. He could have been like the other neighborhood kids and just asked for candy and money. He wasn’t, and he didn’t. He helped us. He did anything we asked of him, and without complaint. He only spoke a little English, which was more than the rest of his family, and yet he communicated anyhow. For a while he only talked to Amy, but then he started to follow me around. He would try to tell me things, for instance, he told me his full name. I wish I was paying closer attention, because I can’t remember it now. It hurts me that I can’t remember. It feels like I failed him somehow. He also told me that he spoke better English than his mother. I can remember that exactly. It went like this:
Kevin: My mother is a little English.
Me: She is?
Kevin: My mother is a little English, but I am more English.
Me: Oh ok, I understand. Good job Kevin!
I meant it. I tried to teach him some other English while I was there. I taught him “drill”, “nail”, “screw”, “gloves”, “mask”, and “hammer”. I know he can write, at least his name. He signed it along with us on the inside of the drywall. At the end of Day 3 he asked if I was coming back the next day. Being the idiot that I am, I said yes, because I thought we would stop by to collect the tools. But we didn’t. We did come back later that night though. Me and Jill made him a card, and Rich got all the kids balls to play with. As the night progressed, after the last group prayer, I knelt down and this happened:
Me: Kevin, amigos?
Kevin: Si, amigos!
That made me feel so good. I was pretty thankful to everyone else for letting me have that moment also. Later on, I guess as a show of our friendship, me and Kevin had a dirt clod fight. He hit me pretty hard in the head a few times. A great shot for a 7 year old in the dark. I need to talk to Mrs. Winchell about doing something for him, because he made me realize what it was I was really doing: helping people and changing their lives. That little boy deserves so much and yet he has so little. He is pure of heart and soul, he has what it takes to get out of Juarez.
Why do I, so undeserving of what I have, get to live the better life? How come Kevin has to suffer while I live in luxury? Why couldn’t it have been the reverse? Kevin could have become a little punk, asking us for money or candy and calling us gringos or gringas, but he, of such a pure heart, rose above that, and became my friend. I don’t know how or what I’ll do, but I need to help that little boy succeed in life, and become a great man, although he needs no help with it. If I need to, I will move down there with him. I love him that much.”
The saddest part of the story is that I was never able to reach any means of doing this. I have no idea where Kevin is at this point, and I know it may be naïve to think so, but I like to hold onto the idea that he never changed. I choose to think that he remained as selfless and pure as I remember him.
The lesson I learned was that I don’t need people to see that I am doing a good job. What I need is to see the children under my care succeed and become the people they are capable of becoming. Kevin showed me the meaning of purity of heart and soul, of true kindness and friendship. If I can teach anyone else of this, if I can spread this meaning to the children I teach…I don’t know. I don’t know what will happen. All I know is that the world needs more Kevins.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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