Schools

I wasn't shocked or surprised about this week's reading. In some ways I'm glad that there is research that is being done about the treatment of urban youth that challenges the way that mainstream society has treated urban youths, in particular young men. The reading illustrates that there needs to be more research to be done about urban youth. In addition, we need to teach students that as they become adults, they will encounter a set of "rules" that are hidden. These rules impact urban youth as well as English Language Learners, too and it is an invisible divide that separates the knowing or privileged from the unprivileged. Therefore, as educators I believe it is our job to make it visible or transparent for these youth to understand that these rules exists. Otherwise, they will have a difficult time navigating each separate system or institution such as the educational system. It definately is messed up because it means that they need to know when to turn on and turn off certain things that are acceptable and not acceptable from society. Is this right?

Identity

After reading all of the articles, I was reminded again that although I know that power and privilege exists in institutions, as someone who will be working in it, it is my duty/job/responsibility to work to educate the students about it. This is often times easier said and done since students tend to view individual acts of injustices as having more impact on them than institutional acts of injustices---that is not to say that these individual acts of injustices are not important but it is also equally important to illustrate that when this happens from institutions they may not even be aware that it is occurring. As it relates to identity and adolescence, I believe that know that we as educators are either reminded or educated about this it is our opportunity to work against these forces and say how do we as individuals and communities work to stop or questions these injustices. Because it is having an impact socially and individually to the creation of our youths identities.

Within my group I have been researching information about classroom community and in particular, I have been researching information about ELL (English Language Learners), which I found out is the new pc term for the formerly and still used ESL students. The article that I read recently discusses how the University of Nebraska collaborated with ten local k-12 schools with a three year training on their ELL, who were from various Spanish speaking backgrounds. It discussed how the educators in the school district where "assign[ing] [the] responsibility for this problem (ELL), as well as responsibility for its resolution, to Latino students and parents" Which to some degree I feel that still happens today when ELL are all of a sudden placed in regular classrooms. It's a sink or swim mentality because after they have completed ESL then they are placed in the classroom expecting to perform at the same level as the other students. The research also addresses the personal and institutional factors that influence ELL success in k-12 and post-secondary education. Essentially, the article illustrates the need for k-12 teachers lack of knowledge and/or resources to provide ELL with accessible ways to get at the curriculum. However, after the training teachers felt they were more prepared to teach ELL. As a student teacher, I felt that this article was important for me to read since I am currently teaching a bilingual classroom even though I am not certified to be a bilingual teacher. Although, I know the language and culture I feel that I lack the resources to provide students with good content area information that they can read independently and get that practice of thinking critically after they have completed a reading. It's something that I think about and struggle with everyday. I believe that it's important to provide students with the knowledge but in addition, I want to give the students some higher level thinking opportunities, too.

Chapter 7 & 8

As someone who worked in youth development, the reading about youth violence did not surprise me at all. What I mean by that is that often times young people are blamed or portrayed in society negatively. However, as someone who worked in youth development, I was able to see young people who were leaders within their communities and who do positive things. Some of these youth would be stereotyped by their peers due to the community that they came from as "bad" and I saw how hurtful it was to some of youth that I worked with. I remember a girl said that she had met another girl at a conference and the girl asked her where she was from. She answered "Cabrini Green", which is a well known projects area in Chicago and the other girl said "you don't speak like someone from Cabrini Green". The girl from Cabrini Green was very upset and told me about it later. When I read about articles like these, it makes me think about my past work experience and the work the I want to continue to do which is to illustrate to other young people that they can and are people who can create difference in a positive way.

The second reading about beauty pageants made me think about and A&E show that was created a couple of years ago about beauty pageant. I remember watching the promos and having very mixed feelings. I know that the little girls that do participate in them may say yes in the beginning but I don't believe many of them have the capability to fully understand the long hours of work it takes. And of course it makes for great television when you see the child and parent become upset at each other. Which I think is another way that society is exploiting the child again. I have known some people who have participated in beauty pageants and because I know them, I've seem them change their personality completely just so that they can win it. It's usually by stifling who they really are and creating this who persona of the "yes woman". This meaning that they will do anything or please anyone to win. In the end, it's the girls and women who are exploited.