Other People's Children: The Silenced Dialogues

I thought Other's People Children by Lisa Delpit is an extraordinary read and I would highly recommend people would read it.  Lisa Delpit writes about an issue that affects both race and social class and how the communication boundaries conflict.  Lisa uses a few examples of this distinction of language from experiences that teachers and students have endured with communication matter and how it affects the students capability to learn and teachers power to teach.  Lisa's composition describes a struggle of communication from over the years and how it greatly alters our society.  She also wrote about five aspects from her theme called "the culture of power".  The five aspects are

1) Issues of power are enacted in classrooms.  2) There are codes or rules for participating in power, that is, there is a "culture power".  3) The rules of the culture and power are the reflection of the rules of the culture of those who have power.  4) If you are not already a participant in the culture of power, being told explicitly the rules of that culture makes acquiring power easier.  5) Those with power are frequently least aware of - or least willing to acknowledge - its existence.  Those with less power are often most aware of its existence.  These five aspects are the categories related towards these differences between communication and the education of all children.  

I personally agree with Lisa's research and her point of view.  In order for teachers to teach and students to learn, we have to answer questions like "how can we communicate better?”  Communication is the only way the education system can function and work.  Since people have different back rounds and lives, teachers have to be able to adapt to these language barriers and vise versa for the students.  Teachers, students, and even parents talk differently in many ways that affect their ability to respond and interact with each other.  One example of these boundaries Lisa uses is the possible difference between a Caucasian mom and mom of color tell their child to get ready for a bath.  The Caucasian mom might ask her child "Isn't time for you to take your bath?"  While she heard a mom of color said to her child "Boy, get your rusty behind in that bathtub!”  The contrast between these diverse conversations needs to be incorporated in schools.  Every kid learns differently, some need to be talked to with an aggressive tone while another needs to be asked to do something in a modest tone.  Besides a more hostile way of communication, there are many more characteristics that can influence the students capabilities to learn.  It's not the fact that there are these language barriers, it's the fact that the education system hasn't accepted these ways to communicate to students and be able to adapt to how the students understand what they are learning.  Teachers can't change the way students communicate. They are suppose to teach them how to write and speak in a way that's considered formal.  That doesn't mean that the way a student speaks or retains information is wrong, just different.

One quote that caught my attention occurred on the second to last page of this publication.  She is summarizing the whole purpose of this article.  Talking about how we need to change our perspective on how teachers teach and communicate to their students.  How the education system needs to go beyond their beliefs and simply put the students first.

"To do so takes a very kind of listening, listening that requires not only open eyes and ears, but open hearts and minds.  We do not really see through our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs.  To put our beliefs on hold is to cease to exist as ourselves for a moment - and that is not easy.  It is painful as well, because it means turning yourself inside out, giving up your own sense of who you are, and being willing to see yourself in the unflattering light of another’s angry gaze.  It is not easy, but it is the only way to learn what it might feel like to be someone else and the only way to start the dialogue."  (Lisa Delpit)

This is one picture that I found that is apparently a stereotypical Caucasian mom and a mom of color conversation to their children. 

http://twicsy.com/i/8mVZ9b

Jonathan Kozol- Who are screwing up America?

Douglas Morgan

2-2-14

FNED 346

Blog Post #1

Jonathan Kozol

I find Jonathan Kozol’s work to be very intriguing.  His point of view on America’s education system involves political point of views and America as a country.  He talks about how education is contaminated by politics and teachers who are suppose to teach a specific type of politics and way of life.  He states “teachers trash America and its values as a matter of course”.  Jonathan Kozol believes that America is a great country and that he education system and teachers shouldn’t “trash” it.

Kozol brings up a few interesting points about how America is viewed through teachers and students.  He thinks that the whole education system doesn’t appreciate America and everything it has accomplished as a country.  Jonathan writes about an article that Dan Gelernter wrote.  Dan wrote some interesting statements like “The teachers are Predicable liberals”.  One statement that caught my attention is “Most lunch tables liberals say that they do not love America, and would not defend it.  One boy says he’d just as soon live in Canada.  They can’t understand why I should be enthusiastic about our country.” That quote caught my attention because, how can you say you don’t love America when you live in America and have freedom.  I don’t understand how people don’t appreciate where they come from.  Jonathan thinks that there are a few reasons why our education system turned out.  He thinks that the reason schools have deteriorated over the years has to do with school violence and schools that are filled with kids who don’t care about education.  He also believes that the worst reason is how “smart” kids don’t understand the importance of their heritage.  Jonathan believes that “education cannot and should not be politically neutral.”  The education system is corrupt in the eyes of Jonathan Kozol, and he has some interesting ideas on how to change it and why.

I personally believe in what Jonathan has to say.  The education system is corrupt by politics.  I am not saying that it’s corrupt by students not having to earn a proper education.  I just think that students should learn more about politics and the difference between political views.  America deserves to be appreciated for everything it provides for Americans.  Students need to learn about America’s real heritage, not a political view of what happened.  The one reason why I agree with Jonathan is that Students don’t learn everything that they need to learn about America and politics and I personally believe that needs to change.

  

A Piece of Me

My name is Douglas Morgan and I went to high school in Roxbury, NJ.  I’m studying Music Education and I want to become a High School Choir Teacher.  I am an active guy because I participate in choir and I also play soccer.  I had a pretty easy summer.  I hung out with friends, practiced music and soccer, and relaxed.  I was so nervous to start college this pass fall.  I was honestly worried about my transition from High School in NJ to College in RI.  I worried about a lot of things that I would have to deal with in college.  Things like stress, classes, making friends, being on my own, and simply starting a successful life.  Going to college out of state is pretty intimidating, but I know that I'm ready for the challenge.  As a freshman that just finished his first semester of college, I can honestly say that I love every bit of college, and I can't wait to start my career in music education.