The Very Hungry Caterpillar...but what does it eat in a different biome?

 The danger of a single story is that the reader is limited because not all perspectives are included, just the perspective of one single person. If the readers begin to identify with characteristics of the story and understand one person's perspective they form their own understanding, they perceive their own conceptions. These personal conceptions and understandings structure the foundation upon which our prejudices are built. This foundation is made stronger each time our conceptions are confirmed. Therefore our prejudice becomes greater than before and we become confident and defensive; we feel the need to defend and stand up for what we believe.

This idea relates to self-justification, once one person makes a decision and there is no turning back the person has to justify their decision. The person may buy a new and expensive running shoe on a whim and afterwords encourage all of their friends to buy the shoe. The person may convince their friends with such expressions: “these Five Finger shoes have great Vibram soles,” “I think it’s time you got a new pair of shoes,” “running feels so great in these shoes, you should get a pair too,” etc. The person wants their friends to buy the shoes to justify that they made a good investment and inevitably a good decision. This person is only sharing their bias with their friends to encourage them to buy the same shoes, but what about other perspectives or reviews on the shoes. Did the person who bought the shoes on a whim do research before making payment? Did the person look into other perspectives before making the decision? If the answer to these questions are no, then the person will become much stronger in their claims and bias because the person feels the need to defend their decision. Self-justification becomes stronger when an irrational decision is made involving money because that decision can most likely not be taken back. Since the decision was irrational, the person did not justify their reasons for purchasing the shoes before investing their money. The person should have taken into account different perspectives and weighed their options before their decision was made—like one story by one author can only tell one self-perspective.

In order to have a greater understanding of a concept you must read more books by a variety of different authors. Forming one understanding from one story is the same has making a justification after an irrational decision and being ignorant to the fact that your decision has flaws. These flaws to ones’ ignorance can be defined as cognitive dissonance- when one knows the good and the bad of a topic but justifies why it is okay to be bad. For example, smoking is bad for your health but I smoke 2 packs a day. The person knows smoking is harmful to their health but does it anyway. The children reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, would read about all different types of food and the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly. The book would include many common foods such as apples, blueberries, pears, etc. This book by Eric Carle reminded me about the book Ms. Adichie talked about referring to apples, winter, and grapes. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is educational to a student because it informs the student of how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly and also is intriguing to the student because of all the food it ate. The book Ms. Adichie talked about informed the student about an every day life which would be beneficial to the student because the reader would be able to identify with the character in the book. But what about the students who are not raised in a culture where apples and winter and grapes are an everyday childhood experience? The author knows apples and winter is something experienced in America but not in Africa, yet these books are supposed to educate all children. Ms. Adichie explains that the books she read as a child were Americanized and not applicable to her understanding because of the differences between the two cultures. Ms. Adichie explained that the fruit she ate were mangoes and that she only experienced wet and dry seasons, not snow during the winter season. The flaws in the American story are clear to Ms. Adichie but not to the American author who wrote a story from their perspective. This one single story is not true for all children, this story has flaws which the author could admit to the readers or the author could justify the story written. It is important for a one person to not close their mind to one perspective, to one decision, to one short story.

Knock-Knock, "It's your child's teacher at the door"

After reading the article, No, Seriously: No Excuses, I agree with the statement, “supplementing classroom strategies with targeted, evidence-based interventions outside the classroom: working intensively with the most disadvantaged families to improve home environments for young children; providing high-quality early-childhood education to children from the neediest families; and, once school begins, providing low-income students with a robust system of emotional and psychological support, as well as academic support.” I agree that in order to reform the education of low-income students it will require more attention from the teachers. Although this statement suggests for the teachers to become very involved with the disadvantaged student and their family, how can we require teachers to work intensively with not just the disadvantaged students but their families? Are teachers the right people to be approaching these families in need? 

I understand that if no one gives a student support then the student will not be motivated or supported, but it is another thing to ask a teacher to be an educator in the classroom and outside of it. If teachers are expected to become involved with the student and their family, then the teacher is directly stepping into the student’s life and taking on that responsibility of raising that student correctly and also taking on the responsibility of helping a family. I do not believe that a teacher should be expected to raise a family so a student can succeed in school, that is the job of our government welfare programs. I see the teacher as a resource or ally, but not as the activist, stepping in the homes taking care of students and their families. How can a teacher be prepared with the resources and education needed to help disadvantaged families live a better life?

However, I do believe that teachers are amazing and must do what they preach. If a teacher tells a student they can do anything as long as they put their mind to it, then the teacher should be able to do the same. I think anyone can make a difference and I believe that teachers could have a great impact to bring change to these student’s attitudes. In the classroom I expect a teacher to be responsible for the education of his/her students and the success of their students. I believe that the teacher needs to provide support to the students in the best way possible for specific students. If the student needs the extra support or encouragement then the teacher should provide it for that student. Since the teacher is able to support his/her students I think the teacher could also have a great impact by approaching the families. Although it is not part of a teacher’s expectations to become involved with disadvantaged families, because what if a teacher has 27 students, all in poverty. Is the teacher expected to go visit 27 families and fix their problems? How could one person give that much support or maintain that responsibility?

What do you put your stamp on?

Inaction is a term used to describe “negligence.” If a person sees a situation that they could fix, they become responsible to fix it. If a person chooses not to fix it and walk away, they are being negligent and indefinitely irresponsible. The negligent person is not only being irresponsible but the person is saying, “It is okay” to do this. 

By someone not doing something, they are putting their stamp of approval on it by not fixing the problem. For example, if I am having a conversation with one of my best friends and they used a very inappropriate term such as “nigger” I would be offended. But even though my friend said the word and should be apologizing to me for offending me, it is my responsibility to fix the situation. I could handle this situation in multiple ways. First we begin with the bad way of handling the situation. I could easily just tell myself, “She didn’t mean that, just brush it off and keep talking like nothing happened, you don’t want to make your friendship awkward because of a poorly used word.” So in this case I would just avoid saying anything about the term and act like her words did not offend me. The ugly way, I could handle this situation would be to tell the person how awful they are to have said such words. I could tell them exactly how offensive the term was and say how embarrassed I am to know them as my best friend. The good way, would be to ask why they used that term and what it means to them. In order to gauge their understanding of the term and why they chose to use it and then explain to them that it is offensive and why. 

The last option is the best option because the friend is being confronted and not attacked, like the second option. The friend is being informed of why the term is offensive and why it is not okay to use it in a derogatory manner. Overall, the term was not okay to use and the person was responsible to stand up to their best friend and say why they shouldn’t use it. Instead of brushing it off and being negligent to say anything. It is better to always say what is right instead of neglecting bad behavior; if you let one thing slide, all things begin to slide. 

The person also has a responsibility looking out for their best friend. For instance, if the best friend had said this term to anyone else they may have become violent for the use of the term. When we as a people, are presented with a situation it is our moral responsibility to take action, to fix the wrong. If we don’t act, we are putting our label on the bad behavior. When we neglect something, we have just said to all other people, “It is okay.”  But it’s not okay for injustice to keep happening, and if we allow it, we are morally wrong, because humans are not to mistreat others or cause harm in any ways. But we do, it happens, because people do not take action and fight for justice.

To be ghetto blasted or the ghetto blaster?

The definition of “ghetto” according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, has three meanings:

1. a quarter of a city in which Jews were formerly required to live.
2. a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure.
3. a. an isolated group and b. a situation that resembles a ghetto especially in conferring inferior status or limiting opportunity

The term “ghetto” is thrown around a lot. For instance, some refer to a boom box as a ghetto blaster. Does that term describe that the boom box projects loudly and that sound will travel throughout a specific area. Or does the term describe that the boom box is only used by a particular minority? I feel like the term ghetto could have originally referred to a specific area, but the term has always associated a group of people with it. During World War II a ghetto described an area where a group of people were required to live based on their religious affiliation. These people were forced to live in the ghetto under the decision of a dictator. There were many consequences associated with this decision. For instance, it made a drastic separation between incomes in that area. The ghetto also caused a decrease in social institutions, therefore breaking the social structure built upon before the separation of the area. The people of these underprivileged groups also experienced a decrease in employment, housing ownership, and schooling. 

The ghetto described by Susan Eaton in The Children In Room E4 was created under different circumstances. Yes, the ghetto was man-made. For instance, in World War II, it was a dictator’s order for a ghetto to be made, and the same person could have removed the order. In Jeremy’s neighborhood the ghetto was created by the real estate agents. “Real estate agents steered blacks in and encouraged whites to move away, pointing them to nearby developing suburbs” (Eaton, 39). The realtors enabled the process of making a ghetto, by selecting who they sold certain houses to in the neighborhoods. The realtors eventually made two completely segregated neighborhoods. Through this segregation the ghetto was formed.

The ghetto of Northeast Hartford was not made a requirement by a dictator but the people of this ghetto were underprivileged. For instance, the residents were all of a specific group, had the same lower class jobs, and were not focused on school. The residents of this ghetto were Puerto Ricans and African Americans. These people were subjected to a ghetto because of their ethnicity. The residents of this ghetto had the same lower class jobs and barely followed the path to a higher class because of their lack of schooling. The limit of schooling could have been their own decision or that they were not given the chance to attend school (due to shootings, family, drugs, etc). The similarities between each person in the ghetto made their life seem normal, therefore why would anyone question their life style if everyone was doing the same thing? The ghetto did seem like a normal world to anyone who hasn’t seen outside of it. 

Being considered a middle class/upper class citizen makes it easy for someone from outside the ghetto to recognize the oppression and the future consequences. Eaton learns in great detail about the ghetto through interviews with children in Ms. Luddy’s classroom. Although Jeremy is one student that has seen both, the ghetto and the world outside the ghetto. In this book, Jeremy is seen as the hope, the chosen one, to prove to his people of the ghetto that there are greater things. I do not think that Eaton can halt the construction on her own. However I do believe that help needs to come from within the ghetto. I believe Jeremy is the one who will bring change to the ghetto, through his accomplishments. Although Jeremy needs to be supported and since the people of his natural place do not see the point, Eaton has a responsibility of being Jeremy’s support. 

Reflection on Seven reasons teachers should blog

The article: Seven reasons teachers should blog, explains that blogging is a successful way to reflect as a teacher. Through blogging the teacher will write down a “record of their actions” and describe their decisions. The act of writing allows the teacher to process their thoughts, write a reflection of their day’s work and compose their new ideas. After composing these new ideas the teacher can now state their opinion through blogging. Since the teacher is writing these thoughts down, they are putting their label on their words. The act of writing makes the teacher more vulnerable to critics and their predecessors. Therefore, when writing a blog post the teacher needs to be aware of the chances they take and the controversy of their topics. 

In regards, to the teacher who was fired for blogging, Natalie Munroe, who used inappropriate terms which labeled the student through her blog post. The teacher needs to realize again, that when they write/publish anything with their name on it they are completely responsible for their words, actions and decisions. Blogging can be beneficial for teachers to reflect on their actions and decisions, but the teacher writing the blog needs to be sure their blog is appropriate too. The freedom of speech is not being violated because a teacher was able to make her blog post and was able to defend herself in a court of law. The teacher should know their boundaries when it comes to publishing. The teacher should not to be using inappropriate comments about her class students because that blog post reflects poorly on the student, the teacher, the school and the district. It would reflect poorly on the school district. If this blog post was brought to the district through complaint and Munroe was not fired, then the whole district would be putting their stamp of approval on the inappropriate blog post. This incidence proves why it is important for a teacher to be responsible for their words. 

In conclusion, the blog should reflect the teachers actions and decisions while in the classroom and explain new ideas of what could be better. If the teacher has a controversial issue they would like to discuss but feel hesitant to publish their ideas, then maybe that means it is inappropriate and that they may offend someone. Teachers have very powerful words because teachers are responsible for educating the future of this country. If teachers do something, the students most likely repeat it. For instance, the teacher writes the assignment on the board, the students copy it and rehearse it. If the teacher slaps a student on the face in front of the class, the students will think it is okay to do that and will not take a second to think otherwise. The actions of teachers are very important and go unnoticed which makes it important for teachers to reflect on their actions and decisions but to also be aware of their words because of their position and their predecessor’s position. 

Reflection on the Extended Project

The article: Dissertation-style A-level project goes beyond teaching to test, explains how schools have another way to challenge assessment. The dissertation style is known as “The Extended Project,” which allows for any student to participate and should be considered as an advanced level course or as a diploma course. This project is, “designed to foster independent thinking” which will replace an exam. The project itself is to allow the student to “explore and develop themselves, through dissertation, scientific investigation, artefact or performance.” 

I agree with this idea of the Extended Project because it allows the student to find something they are passionate about and develop their own ideas. By allowing the student to teach themselves asks alot of the student. Without a teacher, the student will need to learn certain skills on their own such as: research, reading, writing, etc. The student may struggle at first but without any one there to push them along and make them do the work they are gaining perseverance, a skill that can not be taught, but learned. This project also encourages students to create and defend their platform of the topic they have chosen. The logic behind the Extended Project, is that the topic chosen by the student will “fire up their enthusiasm and give them the confidence to develop ideas.” These ideas are their own and is an example of independent thinking at it’s best. 

The Extended Project could be even better if teacher’s were to review their student’s work and introduce critical thinking or analyzation. The best advice I was given from a teacher was that I should take my idea and apply it to how it affects me, then how it affects my town and then how it affects the world. When I stood back and looked at how it affected others my ideas grew and got bigger because I was considering many more people and many more ideas. This teacher taught me how to broaden my view and see the horizon inside and outside the classroom. A life skill was learned because my teacher took the time to show me how one idea can affect not just me but others and one day the whole world. Everyday when I interact with someone I am aware of my words and actions because I know they have consequences, wether it be that they offend or hurt someone, I try to make my self aware of the bigger picture. 

Through the extended project, students are able to learn and develop more critical thinking of skills, analyzation and research skills. Whereas, a standardized assessment will only reflect the basic standards required by the state/nation. The point of these standardized assessments are to serve the students by educating them properly so that they may hold intellectual conversations in the workplace and in everyday life. But standardized assessment also brings with it discouragement. The Extended project “challenges the notion ‘that assessment is the only guarantor of a child’s academic worth.’” With the Extend Project the student will not be able to be a number any more among many standardized assessments, and the number will be replaced with a name who has passion and enthusiasm for learning. Teachers are created through curiosity and an excitement for learning. As educators, we should encourage these students to find their passions and not limit them through standard assessments.

On another note: this post was created today and there was only one comment that questioned if this idea was “pioneering.” Since the IB Diploma’s Extended Essay reflects the idea of the Extended Project.

I'm here

3rd day of Human Relations:
Making a blog to talk about my life and view of education.
Sitting next to Loxley, she got the job.