Becoming Something Different: Learning from Esmé by: Fairbanks, Crooks, and Ariail

Becoming Something Different: Learning from Esmé by: Fairbanks, Crooks, and Ariail

These authors argue that students of different cultures or races have a hard time coming into the United States school system. They create this argument by following a student, Esme, through many years of her education. Esme changes through the years and eventually becomes more comfortable with the education system but there are still many cracks in the foundation. She does not feel comfortable with most of the teachers. She feels they assume she already knows specific information when explaining something, when she really does not know that information. Only a hand full of teachers help her and she likes the type of help that is one on one and not in front of the class. Ultimately, she asks her other friends in class for help versus her teachers. Another aspect is she settles for being in the normal classes because she knows they are “easy” and she can pass them. Her counselors and teachers do not encourage her and push her to work hard. She feels she is not smart enough or may not push herself enough to stay in those classes so she drops out. When she was in a resource type class she really did not need it at a certain point but stayed in it because she was comfortable and felt successful. Next, she measures her intelligence by her ability to do homework, participate, go to school early, and care versus her actual intelligence. Lastly, she fits in the crowd with fellow peers only after years of being very quiet and shy. Esme eventually opened up, but possibly not to her full potential, because she only considers herself part of a small group of friends and is unable to do many things like dating guys, going out without a chaperon, and cutting her hair because of her Mexican culture. Ultimately, she does not realize her self-value, abilities, and intelligence. Is this due to the school environment she has grown up in?

Comments:

I would like to say I feel a lot of kids do not fit in school, especially high school years because everyone is figuring out themselves and come from different backgrounds. I feel her Mexican culture probably added to her troubles, but if I moved to Mexico I am sure I would have the same issues.

The video and pictures below show the perspectives of other cultures and races of people going to school in the United States.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQtzQn1Rvc8

Teaching After Brown v Board of Education: Choice 2-Ladson-Billings, Lomax, and Orfield on “The Other 3 R’s Race, Reform, Rights”

Teaching After Brown v Board of Education: Choice 2-Ladson-Billings, Lomax, and Orfield on “The Other 3 R’s Race, Reform, Rights”

Argument:

I do not agree with Gloria Ladson’s argument she made towards the end of the video. She said that white people do not respond well to instructors or teachers who have power over them that are of a different race than white. I think that is 100% not true, and that it is stereotyping white people. Black people and any person of a different race do not want to be stereotyped and neither do white people. A prime example of how this is not accurate, is me in this class. Professor Stevos is not of my race or ethnicity but I do not look down upon her or feel any type of negative way because she is different than me and has power over me. I would never correlate race and a feeling of aggravation that they have authority over me together. Besides Professor Stevos, I have had many other teachers, coaches, or people of higher authority, that were of different race, have power over me and I was not spiteful because of it. I feel like by Gloria saying that statement she was being stereotypical towards whites and giving us a single story that is inaccurate, negative, and hurtful. The point she was trying to prove I do not feel can be actually proved. This was just one of the points that Gloria was trying to argue in the presentation that stood out to me because I did not agree with it and I felt it was hypocritical to everything we have been learning about throughout the semester.

Point to share: I would like to share the link below, which is a clip from an E: 60 video which shows racial discriminate from a white person to a black person. This goes to show some people are still racist, but not all. So how do we address the situation when there is a lot of gray area?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv7ct9H1Sf0

The images below are of the E: 60 documentary story

 

Also attached is an article further describing the situation of the E: 60 story, which addresses racial issues still present in today’s society.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/09/13/5171846/questions-remain-a-year-after.html#.VE7E5RbVeZM

Kahne and Westheimer “In Service of What?”

Kahne and Westheimer “In Service of What?”

Quotes-Evaluation:

1)      “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

This quote is originally from President Kennedy but was restated in this article to prove a point. The quote says people should not only expect receiving from their country but should also give to their country. I feel this quote is saying if people want to have a good society and be happy in their country they need to treat it like a relationship in a sense and understand it is a two way street. A country and society is like a team, citizens should work together for a common goal of a productive happy country to live in. In order for children and young adults to play their role and give back they can be involved with service learning.

2)      Table 1. SERVICE LEARNING GOALS 

MORAL                     POLITICAL INTELLECTUAL                

CHARITY     Giving             Civic Duty      Additive Experience  

CHANGE      Caring             Social              Transformative

Reconstruction        Experience

I am using this table from the article as quote number two. This table explains the goals that people want to see service learning students attain. This table is important because it shows how service learning creates positive impacts on people. The positive impacts are in moral, political, and intellectual categories. Due to the fact that Service Learning is so beneficial it should be implemented in all schools so that people are introduced to the benefits for both themselves and their country at a young age.

3)      "[The neighborhood] isn't as bad as the news makes it out to be." "The rumors I have                  heard are a big bunch of hogwash . . . .I'm glad I went on that trip because it was a wonderful experience to meet new people and find out about their lives."

This quote is from a student who did his/her service learning in a so called “bad neighborhood.” The student realizes all the negative stereotypes, news, and rumors about the place she was going to was not really all that bad. Through service learning she got to experience the environment and make an opinion for herself about it, so she was not stuck to a single story. This quote shows how service learning can be so eye opening and informative to students about the real world, amongst other benefits also.

·         The point I would like to bring up in class is the question, do you think service learning should be part of every school’s curriculum requirement?

·         The picture below explains how being part of a service learning program is being part of something bigger than yourself.

·         The link below shows and explains what exactly service learning is and why it is important for the education of children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-MxJ01zeN4