Education is Politics

“Aim of intellectual training is to form the intelligence rather than stock the memory”

It seems as though this mind set is ignored in some school systems by the teachers or professors. In FNED I actually learned things that were surely make me a better member of society, I learned to be more open-minded and understanding of other lifestyles. We didn’t learn these things by simply reading a book or watching a YouTube video, we dissected readings and videos and the media and talked with each other about almost everything. Over time this has become the best class I have taken in college just because of the people in it. I think we actually have a good time in class. I have taken a lot of the reading material and discussions, filtered them a used them in everyday situations including the VIPS program. While this method of teaching may not be usable in every subject I feel as though there are way too many classes that focus on repetition and memorization for a good grade. This isn’t learning necessarily this is remembering and in most cases I forget the information the following semester. I am currently in a History class and I’ll be honest I don’t ever go to class because the teaching seemed a little off and the work was all online, there is no reason why I should be passing yet I have an A in the class simply by doing busy work and showing up for the exams. I have used the time period of the class to do work for other classes that I feel are actually important. If this class wasn’t all about remembering vocab words but focused around discussions and involvement I would be there every day even if I was getting a C in the class because after all what are grades, they reflect what the teacher wants but not always the knowledge you have gained, I’ve learned a lot more from classes that I have received an B or C in than an A. Then there are the classes that an A is important to you because of the work you put in and the knowledge you have gained in doing so.

“In a participatory class where authority is mutual some of the positive affects which support student learning include cooperativeness, openness, and concern about society”

Like I have said before the classes in which participation and discussion are valued as important aspects of the class are generally more effective. In a classroom where the students have some power I feel as though the lesson plan runs much more smoothly. From classes such as this I have learned to be more open-minded about other people I even few the media differently. If students actually were seen as valued members of the class they would be less reliant on someone of authority telling them what to do. Students begin to feel that a correct answer is all that’s important and not the steps in between the question and the answer. Does it really matter if your answer is yes or no if you have nothing to back up what you’re saying? In active classroom students enhance their social skills in a way that will affect them throughout their lives whether it is in the classroom as a student or in society as an adult.

“Students study their own culture and that of the other students different from them. They undertake a cross-cultural study of the other groups in the community-white, Black, Hispanic, Asian-and all students learn English and Spanish. Further, this curriculum is thematic rather than fact-driven. The classwork revolves around cross-cultural themes, among them Our Roots in the Community, Native American Experience. Peace Education and Global Awareness. The teaching methods include cooperative learning, democratic discipline, and students' participation in peer groups and in decision making”

In today’s society the importance of cultural diversity is vital. When I was growing up it seemed as if cultural integration wasn’t as important as it is today. I’m not saying it was as important as it is now but it just wasn’t seen that way. When the classroom in which students learn and grow involves lessons about different cultures and lifestyles, it allows for students to make their own opinions and not those tarnished by their family or the media. In many cases the only information you obtain about something is false especially in school with children. Some of the things I learned in middle school and high school are so far-fetched I’m actually embarrassed I believed them. Thankfully schools are making a turn for the better this is after all a revolution in the education system, across the nation people are beginning to understand the true importance of educating the young so that they flourish to be respectful citizens in society. Thankfully we have college classes that allow us to focus on subjects such as this one in order to help us in educating the generations below us.

'GENERATION RX' Extended Trailer

Kliewer

Peter Siner

Kliewer

“It’s not like they come her to be labeled…”

This quote goes on to say that it is important that we work in groups, also that students don’t come to schools to be set up to fail. In the school systems it seems as though people   don’t have the right to determine a child’s life. If a child comes into the school system and in first grade is categorized as special ed, the education received is most likely not going to be up to the same standard as the other children in the normal classroom environment. How does one ever emerge from this cycle of moving from special ed to special ed classroom each year? The children go to school to learn in order to survive in the outside world and be successful however this goal in nearly impossible due to the restrictions placed on the children in some situations. They don’t go to the schools to be labeled and considered hopeless and to do this is simply unfair.

“The presence of a thoughtful mind has been linked to patterns of behavioral and communication conformity”

I feel as though society has put a title of what is right and what is wrong without allowing for much room in between. Conformity in the school system seems to be encouraged without allowing students to feel as though they can do something that isn’t like the others. Why is it that being open minded and straying from the norm is considered success, in higher education such as college classrooms, the idea of analyzing and producing individual ideas is what is encouraged and I think this mind set should be present throughout a child life to influence a more diverse future.

“Curriculum emerged from her students daily lives in which they together gave meaning to classroom experiences”

This teacher moved away from the idea that a curriculum should be simply based on an age group or a school agenda. This idea of allowing the curriculum to be subject to the students involved makes the most sense, it’s almost strange that this isn’t the norm, if you think about it why wouldn’t the way you teach be based upon the children you’re teaching. Being able to somewhat determine the way our FNED course flows and the content we provide in class through discussions is what draws my attention to the class. While I generally play devil’s advocate, the ability to hear all sides of the discussion and not just professors makes for a very good classroom environment. It also allows for personal progression in the classroom environment rather than listening to a lecture and worrying more about memorization that the actual material. This idea of allowing students to be the leaders of their future makes the most sense.

Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work

Peter Siner

Talking Points

From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work
JEAN ANYON

1.“In a sense, some whole schools are on the vocational education track, while others are geared to produce future doctors, lawyers, and business leaders.”

This generalized concept seems to be quite broad considering the study was done using only five different schools out of the thousands in the United States. The author doesn’t really note the school locations as far as state or even city or town. I am personally very skeptical that school boards base their agenda off of what they want their students to be especially considering most of the concepts and regulations are state wide and not restricted to one individual school. If this study were to be taken more seriously they probably should have broadened their horizon and studies a few more schools in states across the country. Another factor that is not put in detail is if the elementary schools are private or public and which is which.  These schooling methods don’t necessarily have to be linked to the occupation of the parents but the average family income the children have in the different schools. Obviously a student in a poor family with laborers as parents, in a poor neighborhood, and attending a poor school is going to have a different life than a student coming from a family of doctors, living in a rich neighborhood and attending a private school. It seems as if a lot of these studies try to focus on linking two aspects of something that don’t necessarily exist.

2. “In the two working-class schools, work is following the steps of a procedure. The procedure is usually mechanical, involving rote behavior and very little decision making or choice”

“In the executive elite school, work is developing one's analytical intellectual powers”

Just the way the author words these two very different schools, the first having manufacturing/laborer parents and the second with parents with affluent professionals. The first reads that the students follow steps while the second describes the children as developing analytical intellectual powers, kind of a strong set of characteristics for a child? In many elementary schools the way students learn is very “to the book” and not all schools allow their children to free flow. This is after all elementary school; if it were high school or college these two very different descriptions of the school would make much more sense.

The school district requires the fifth grade to study ancient civilization (in particular, Egypt, Athens, and Sumer). In this classroom, the emphasis is on illustrating and re-creating the culture of the people of ancient times.

The students that have parents that are doctors and lawyers etc. seem to have a much more extensive workload. In the fifth grade this particular school was teaching their students about ancient civilizations and recreating the culture of the people. This seems like quite a bit to ask for from fifth grade CHILDREN. However this might make a little more sense if the doctor and lawyers parents were paying tuition like bill for their children to be in the schools, which would make sense if the families are so wealthy. A private school that charges for enrollment and is in charge of educating the children of the rich is not going to be performing as well as the school in the city that instructs their fifth graders to read 10 pages a night. It only makes sense that a school like this would out-perform an average public school. It seems once again there are flaws to the study done. It isn’t hard to find cases of extremity in anything if you search hard enough for it. The question for me is what is the biggest factor? The correlation between the parent’s occupations and the school lesson plan, or the correlation between the areas income and the school plan?

Single Sex Schools...

Peter Siner

“Foley Intermediate School began offering separate classes for boys and girls a few years ago, after the school’s principal, Lee Mansell, read a book by Michael Gurian called “Boys and Girls Learn Differently!” After that, she read a magazine article by Sax and thought that his insights would help improve the test scores of Foley’s lowest-achieving cohort, minority boys.”

I thought this was a little strange how the principal could change the entire system of the school based off of a reading that she had done.  I also find it strange that there wasn’t a complete uproar from the parents of the children, generally when something changes, people have a problem with it. I thought that fundamental changes in a schools system had to be done by the superintendent not the principal.

“Sax estimates that in the fall of 2002, only about a dozen public schools in the United States offered any kind of single-sex educational options (excluding schools which offered single-sex classrooms only in health or physical education). By this past fall, Sax says, that number had soared to more than 360, with boys- and girls-only classrooms”

The change from coed schools to split boys and girls public schools in the US greatly increased. However I wonder if the change has occurred due to results in other schools or because parents and school committee members like the idea of it. I would think that parents would want the interaction between boys and girls inside of the school to help promote a more socially inclined individual. However I really can’t say from experience as whether or not being in an all-girls or boys public school changes things, and if it does how much it actually does.          

“early proposals was that boys should start kindergarten at age 6, a year later than girls, in order to ease the “sense of scholastic incompetence” that so many boys feel early on because they tend to develop later.”

This concept seems to be a little ridiculous. It seems as though we are making an extremely soft generation by saying boys should be going to school later so they don’t feel bad that girls are doing better. I went to a public school, and I went to kindergarten at 5, whether I thought girls were smarter than me or not at the age, it hasn’t affected me now. As a matter of fact the top students in my class of high school were mainly boys. The sense of competition between boys and girls at the elementary age seems to be almost vital. Interaction between both boys and girls I would assume is important to a child, friendships are built at young ages as well as a general understanding for one another.

“That certainly appears to be the case for single-sex schools. The data do not suggest that they’re clearly better for all kids. Nor do they suggest that they’re worse. The most concrete findings from the research on single-sex schools come from studies of Catholic schools”

If I were a principal or super intendant this statement would have scared me a little bit. While there are certainly schools that have improved due to the change there were also those that did not have the same luck. In these cases I am curious as to if the change in the school environment led to improvement or the actual change from the coed school to a single sex. It would have been interesting if studies were done to compare coed classes that had changes done to the lesson plans and the schools that changed to a single sex school and compare any improvements.

Wise A particularly cheap white wine

A particularly cheap white wine (Wise)

"White students are twice as likely as their african american or latino counterparts to be taught by the most highly qualified teachers and half as likely to have least qualified instructors in class." 

            I found this quote to be ridiculous, the way the quote sounds makes it seem as though whites have more qualified instructors because they are white. While this may be true in some cases there are probably cases in which black students have more qualified instructors. It seems as though the correlation between poor environments and black people living there is what  allows for the accuracy of this quote, therefore this would change the very approach the author is trying to make. If the statement read:  wealthier people have a greater chance to be taught by higher qualified students than the poor then this would not be associated to race but social status and the correlation between race and social wealth. In this case a few more issues arise, why do students with less wealth obtain lesser education, and how are there teachers coming out of college that are less qualified than the next. Lastly, where is the data being used by the author to make these statements?

“Special efforts to provide access and opportunity to such persons should be made not because they are black, per se, or Latino or whatever; but because to be a person of color has meant something in this country.”

This really is a great counter-argument to the idea that it is unfair for people of minority to have greater chances than whites in certain aspects. The author is right, color means a lot more in this country than some others and the negative connotations and inequalities sometimes in place should be countered by helping those of minority to overcome racial injustices in society. However maybe this boost given to some minorities doesn’t encourage equality but inequality by allowing help to very certain individuals, however it may also promote equality by allowing minorities with any disadvantage or just in general to be at the same level as the majority. I do not disagree with this statement however I wish the mind set was that color no longer held any inequalities and that our country, the country of freedom and tolerance would be better and stronger than our ancestors country.

“As for racism, it is typically defined in two ways, both as ideology and practice.”

The quote goes on to define both of these different categories, ideology racism as being a sense of inherent superiority while institutionally, racism effects policies, practices or procedures that cause inequality between races.

This quote definitely categorizes some of the ideas of racism that are present in both an ideological as well as institutional sense, however I do not think this completely sums up racism. Racism is ignorance, complete ignorance. Many people form uneducated opinions about other races, these ideas are not only in the United States it is present across the world.  I feel as though racism within political policies has greatly decreased over the years. In many cases minorities are given extra support in college or employment opportunities.

Foxy News: The Cable News Home For Sexism & Scantily Clad Women

Just a few examples of FOX news sexism...

In The Service of What?

In the moral domain, service learning activities tend toward two types of

relationships. Relationships that emphasize charity we will call "giving." Those

that aim primarily to deepen relationships and to forge new connections we

will call "caring."

I feel as though using these two different titles for those who help out is a little unfair. To automatically assume that those who participate merely give and that those who participate in the long term are caring isn’t necessarily accurate. For some people whose busy work or school schedule don’t allow for much dedicated time for good cause writing a check is an easier and still efficient way of helping others. While it is most definitely true that there are those who write a check and don’t want to explore where the money or food or time is going to, can we really criticize them? I think the people who actually go into the needy community to help are caring, and they definitely must have the time to do so, but I don’t believe one person has more caring qualities then the other. For a person who works 50 hours a week and donates the money made from 5 of those hours, it’s still technically time they have put into it. I think both forms of giving are great and neither should be promoted as the better of the two. It’s hard to disagree with someone’s generosity whether it is in the form of a check, or actual time.

Those who focus primarily on charity believe

That, to be properly educated in a democracy, students must undergo

experiences that demonstrate the value of altruism and the dangers of

exclusive self-interest. They stress the importance of civic duty and the need

for responsive citizens. Volunteerism and compassion for the less fortunate

are the undergirding conceptions of political socialization associated with this

vision.

While both giving and caring are important aspects of society they provide different outcomes for the participating individual. A large check can be just as important as the time a person can give in some situations, however someone who “cares” rather than “gives” may experience a different experience and benefit from it. The ability to actually embrace a needy environment and lend a helping hand can help in the transformation from citizen t an educated and well-rounded citizen of a democracy. These people begin to learn selflessness and also form an appreciation for what they have by working with those who are in need of the given service. Charity doesn’t always result in a matured citizen but it does result in a good citizen with a desire to help others.

 We think it is better to be explicit about the numerous and different visions that drive the creation and implementation of service learning activities in schools.

"In the service of what?" is a question that inevitably merits the attention of

teachers, policy makers, and academicians who take seriously the idea that

learning and service reinforce each other and should come together in

America's schools.

The service learning projects greatly impact the students in the classroom as well as the person participating in the “service” By being able to recognize the impact one has on a classroom and even in other aspects of society there is evidence of improvement. The idea that learning and service reinforce each other is quite apparent now. After actually having a hands on approach to this servicing learning and helping out a classroom full of students I can see how actually being in the classroom is better than donating pencils. The impact one individual can have on many is quite incredible and is worth working on.

Christensen, "Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us,"

Christensen, "Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us," 

Peter Siner

Quote 1

“I start by showing students old cartoons… we both look at the roles women, men, people of color, and poor people play in cartoons. I ask students to watch for who plays lead, who plays buffoon…”

Let me start by stating how ridiculous this article is, Christensen is asking students to dissect their childhood and look into any kind of influence they had and find what’s racist or sexist about it, not at first glance but after thoroughly looking into it. I know things start to ware on people after a while but I don’t think I ever used analytic processes when I was five watching cartoons.  But let’s play along and answer Christensen’s questions, women and men generally played the lead roles, love was usually involved and some kind of power. Women were not always seen as inferior in fact the first movie, Snow White has a woman as the main character, she isn’t scantily clothed, and she is loved by the animals. Men’s roles vary drastically throughout the many movies so it’s hard to pinpoint what they are. I watched many Disney movies as a child the only people of color I can think of in these movies are those which play leading roles, also poor people in movies usually prosper at the end because of personality and merit. For instance Aladdin is about an Arab man who is poor; he falls in love with the princess but is not allowed to marry her. Already this depicts a poor person of color as the main character and a woman holding a dominant ruling role as princess. Although they cannot marry due to Aladdin’s social status his personality and perseverance changes the Sultans mind. This is racist?

In another movie a woman strives to fight for her country after her father dies, her determination leads her to enlist in the military and hide her gender in order to fight. Not only is this another movie where a woman is the main character but this woman is also Asian. The movie is Mulan. Another movie depicts a young boy raised by wolves after he is abandoned, he is adopted by a bear and taught by a lion, both of which are dark colors (dark gray and black). They are both characters that represent good; the evil characters are the orange tiger and the green snake. The boy is Indian, and the movie is the Jungle Book, another example of a story in which someone other than a white person in dominant.  To say that cartoons and Disney movies only depict other cultures as evil and stupid is an easy way to falsely accuse all cartoons of racism. Another movie Pocahontas, is about a Native American woman, she is beautiful and one with nature. Disney gives her a lot more credit than she deserves. The name Pocahontas is a nickname for the “naughty one” and John Smith said on many occasions that she would do naked cartwheels through the town to entertain him. Now if Disney was a racist and sexist propaganda producer why wouldn’t they use a true story to demine women and minorities? I find it somewhat hypocritical that we can look for the racism in Disney movies and then turn around and talk about why it’s good to introduce children to homosexuality by reading them a book about 2 rich kings who are gay,  doesn’t this glorify being gay a little?

Quote 2

While there is no one quote to sum this up, there is a lot of talk about how people that are darker are evil while white is peaceful and good, for example Ursula from the Little Mermaid. Yes she is dark, she is also a squid or an octopus which are generally dark, not to mention their ink is black. This idea that black magic means bad because of black people is also nonsense. It is correct that Western world views black as evil and white as good, but Asia and Africa do just the opposite. Russians, Chinese, Japanese, and many South Africans are white skinned so if this notion that good and bad colors are based on peoples skin doesn’t make much sense.  The very idea of black magic being evil and white being good actually dates as far back as Ancient Egypt during the invasion of the Cush Tribe. Are we to say that people who had never seen a white man and people whose population made up of black people thought their own skin color should depict evil?

Quote 3

“They graded each show A through F and wrote a brief summary of their findings”

The students graded childhood’s shows and movies, Duck Tales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Popeye. I would like to note that these shows were not very prominent, I watched all of them but Popeye was made in the late 60’s which is a little outdated. Things were different during that time period, blacks had very unequal rights and there was segregation and white prominence so of course a cartoon is going to reflect its culture. However I still believe America is the greatest country, it’s called Nationalism, it’s not racist or ignorant to have pride in your country especially one that so many have died for. The other is Duck Tales; they claim that this show depicts an uncle who claims money is the only important thing in the world. If this was the only plot I don’t think they could make 100 episodes and a movie. The Uncle is named Scrooge McDuck, Scrooge should sound familiar considering it is the name of the main character from A Christmas Carol, in this play Scrooge is a greedy and money-hungry character.  Lastly they rate Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, they claim that this show falsely shows children you can eat pizza and fight and not get hurt. This is such a broad view, what about the fact that even with turtles it shows the values of good and evil. I think parents and other social outlets have enough power to counter the supposed influence talking turtles have on children.

Carlson Think Piece

Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

Carlson

Peter Siner

QUOTE #1

"Public schools in particular have often promoted such "normalizing" conceptualizations of community that are based on defining a cultural center or "norm" and positioning class, gender, race, and sexual Others at the margins."

I disagree with this statement, while I agree schools mainly teach the social “norm” I do not believe everyone that isn’t white is simply thrown in the margins. People with ethnic backgrounds are found in almost every modern text book, we no longer only discuss whites. As far as teaching about things that classify as the norm or categorizing things as a norm actually makes sense, after all homosexuality isn’t normal if you follow what normal actually means. Normal- conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural. While I don’t find gays or lesbians to be wrong in their actions I do think it is quite obvious it isn’t the mainstream way of life. The majority of people are not gay therefore they set the standard of heterosexuality which homosexuals stray from. There are way too many things to discuss that don’t follow the “norm” of society, the normal school year is only about 6 months, there are curriculums that must be followed and talking about everyone’s way of life isn’t one of them. This is another example of a few people wanting to change the mindsets of the majority. I believe gays should have equal rights including the ability to form a union however I do not think there should be open discussions in elementary schools or middle schools about homosexuality specifically but a broader discussion of how everyone deserves equal respect.

QUOTE #2

"The objective of classroom discourse is thus not so much to achieve consensus on one ‘true’ or ‘objective’ depiction of reality, but rather to clarify differences and agreements, word toward coalition-building across differences when possible, and build relationships based on caring and equity.”

This quote really sums up what must be done in the school systems. English, math, history, science: these are all extremely important aspects of our schooling careers but what about being a human. I think being well-rounded and understanding of other cultures and ideas is equally as important. You cannot teach someone to think being gay is ok, you can’t even teach someone to not be racist because unfortunately these things can be passed down through generations, you can however teach someone the value of respect for others. If schools taught a unified sense of respect it would have a great impact on many people.

Quote #3"

“If students in the school community can be kept shielded from "bad influences" and provided only "positive" representations of community life, that they can be molded into "good", "well adjusted" citizens and workers”

This quote is very unrealistic. Of course if someone lives under a rock and is only told the “good things” and is sheltered from anything bad then they would become good people. We live on the planet Earth however, and in this world we have influences from family, television, movies, books, the internet, friends, the radio, even teachers. All of which in some way have or continue to spread what may be considered “bad influence.” We watched a short clip of Ace Ventura in which he kissed a man and so he excessively washes and brushes his teeth, are we supposed to ignore the fact that this is comedy and a reaction of straight man or are we supposed to be sensitive about everything and call this ignorant and a disgrace. I think some people need to relax, there will always be disagreements. If the clip showed “Ace Ventura” using ethnic slurs then of course it would be inappropriate and racist, this however was funny. Society has always had an impact on the world and I don’t see that changing. If we can make our students realize that they must respect others and refrain from making racist or discriminatory remarks we will see a very different America from the one we live in.

Aria- Talking Points

“The Education of Richard Rodriguez”

Aria

Peter Siner  

Talking Points

Quote 1

“I was unable to hear my own sounds, but I knew very well that I spoke English poorly”

     The first quote that struck me was the one above. It seems as though Rodriguez felt like an outsider to the English language. Even though he was trying to speak the same way to fit into the English culture he was not able to. The language he spoke was still foreign to him. He also mentioned how much his parents struggled to both speak and understand English. At a young age parents are who you look up to, so to have parents that were also unable successfully communicate with others must have made it even more confusing. He was basically outside of the English “circle.”

Quote 2

“outside the house was public society; inside the house was private”

     This quote shows how Rodriguez divides his personal and social lives solely base on the language spoken in the two very different atmospheres. It seems as if Rodriguez never had an actual childhood development with his literary skills. While he believed his Spanish house was his private life and the English outside was social, the same would have applied if he was raised speaking English. In most households the way we interact and communicate differs from the way we communicate in the outside world. I don’t know if Rodriguez confused his inability to speak fluent English as being a continual barrier of language when in reality it could have just been a lack of maturity in his English. Rodriguez had no normal maturity from child to adult language because most of his efforts were contributed to simply speaking and comprehending English.

    Rodriguez also noted that English sounded unorganized and choppy while Spanish reminded him of home. As he began to learn English the gap was no longer mainly between himself and the “gringos” but himself and his own family. He began to learn English and accidentally step away from his own culture.

Quote 3

“Supporters of bilingual education today imply that students like me miss a great deal by not being taught in their families language”

    Rodriguez is pointing out that a lot is lost in the years of language development when the focus is on learning the language and not the content of the language and the maturity level. It was only later on that he realized he would have had an advantage if he had known both English and Spanish and excelled in the two languages. However his desire and his parents struggle to learn English became the main priority and so sacrificing his own culture and language was tolerable. While I believe if you come to the United States you should speak English I feel it is also important to keep hold of your family’s traditions and language in your personal environments.

Johnson Think Piece

Johnson, from Privilege, Power and Difference

     Johnson’s piece basically discusses the many social issues that are in our society. He talks about how humans need to be part of something bigger in life starting from birth considering we cant survive without someone else when we are born. We look up to people to tell us right and wrong and create rules and guide lines however this probably doesn’t help in some situations the way generations and generations of people carry a racist hate against people that aren’t their own gender, race, or sexual orientation. Humans cause much of this problem because of stupidity and ignorance against other people. Then again people also have the ability to change this mind set, I think that our generation is working on that, of course there are still some racist red necks all across the country and there are still the neo-nazis with their radical and ridiculous beliefs but most of this garbage is just passed down from their parents or grandparents. When you actually look deeper into racism it makes almost no sense, no one is better than someone else because of their skin color or beliefs. This is the United States our country is built off of diversity it’s who we are. Even though im white I was proud of the country and participated in the election of Obama, maybe hes not the greatest president we’ve ever had but he definitely promoted change he broaded the spectrum of possibility and success. I know I am getting a little off topic.. Johnson really tries to give the reader the understandin of the social indifferences in the US, he mentions that social status and class can be changed but appearance cannot and it is this which categorizes people from birth. I will say this however, while I agree that there may be a “white privilege” present and most of us know that theres some things that are easier for whites, I think the idea is starting to slowly lose its credibility as a vaid idea. I don’t think many people think they have all this extra power based on skin color. Maybe in the 50’s all the way to the early 90’s this would have made more sense but we live in the 21^st century. Youth has been stirring uprisings all across the world because they are sick of the garbage we are being served. Why should millions of the younger generation of Egypt be makings two dollars a day while their president bathes in the riches that they sweat and bleed for. Well they shouldn’t which is why Egypt is forming a democracy and their president is gone. Old ideas and old methods shouldn’t be what determines our generations and just like this idea applies to the people in the middle east right now fighting for their rights it should apply to the way people as whole think. There are always going to be stereotypes and racist ideas, there are people who are racist against whites. However I think authors such as Johnson will see their writings and ideas actually take effect, hes right people can change and we are the only ones that can change the ways people think about others but the day is coming where whether your black, white, Spanish, Chinese, gay, lesbian etc. we will all be recognized as humans with our own distinct qualities. Out with the old and in with the new.

ABout Me

I actually wasn't sure if the About Me section was a post or just contained to the About Me box.. Anyways..

My name is Peter Siner I was born in RI and I'm from Glocester, RI. After High School I decided I would like to go somewhere that was far enough away from home but close enough at the same time. So I went to URI and I was set on Marine Biology... or Archeology... or Teaching... or just something to do with History... or an Engineer..... needless to say I had absolutely no idea what I actually wanted to do. I started working at Newport Creamery in Smithfield, RI in my junior year of High School and I took a break from work my first semester at school, however when funds ran low I began working the weekends, the long drive (1hour) to go to work for a 5 hour shift really wasnt worth it that much when I took into account the money I was spending in gas alone. This whole working in Smithfield, going to school in North Kingston and staying at URI during the week and my house during the weekend really started to wear on me. It was towards the end of my Sophmore year that I realized it really wasnt worth the time and money to be going to URI, and at this point I had realized I wanted to teach history. Thankfully RIC has a great teaching program and now im saving thousands by staying home, working, and going to a school that I feel is much better than URI. All four times I was supposed to meet with an advisor at URI they "were sick" or "not available" not to mention I was sick of taking classes where if I showed up 20 times or 0 times it wouldnt affect my grade. So far I couldnt be happier with my choice of going to RIC.
Like I said I work at Newport Creamery and I have for about 5 years now, while I usually cook Ive been trained for everything in the store and I might try and shoot for a supervisor position once my schedule clears up a little.
Aside from school and work, my favorite thing to do is Travel and all the things that go along with it such as fishing, camping, kayaking, biking, and some amateur photography. So far Ive been to about 10 states and three countries, the Bahamas with my family, and two with my girlfriend Cassie: Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. It takes a while to save up for trips like these but its definitely worth it.
Like I mentioned before fishing, biking, and kayaking are great even when I'm home as well as golf, simming and many other outdoor activities.

Teaching for me would be the ultimate job because not only will I be teaching History which has always been my favorite subject but it should allow for me to have some free time over the many vacations schools have. Hopefully this class provides a gateway from college student to a teacher in the making.

Amazing Grace

"God bless Mommy. God bless Nanny. God, don't punish me because I'm black."

The above line stands out in Amazing Grace by Kozol. It's only in readings like this that most people come to the realization of what life is like on the other side of the fence. The article seemed to explain a place so foreign to the America I know that I began to get lost in the reading. It's difficult to comprehend a neighborhood where murder, drugs, and prostitution are a norm, especially for children, or where waking up the next morning is solely dependant on the weather at night. The excerpt above shows just how sad the childrens' living environment in these neighborhoods actually are. They actually believe this lifestyle they are living is a curse based upon the color of their skin.
Although equal rights have been fought for in the past it seems as though in some areas of the United States they still have not taken effect. These communities are plagued with diseases such as AIDS as well as drugs such as cocaine and heroine which lead to the use of dirty needles further spreading more disease. Also the incinerator used to dispose of amputated arms and legs as well as old hospital beds, cars, and broken televisions pollutes the surrounding neighborhood air. Just the thought of this is very unsettling, we complain when given the task of "taking out the trash", trying to imagine living next to something as toxic as this is very disturbing. 
The question I cannot answer is this, how can we as fellow Americans, and fellow humans make a difference. Although there were only a few places mentioned I am positive they are not the only ones. In a country that prides itself on equality and freedom there should be more laws and support that ensure just that.