What to look for in a classroom and cultural relevant pedagogy

 the reading of Kohn and the video given to us,: this piece is connection and reflection. 

In both the reading and the video, one thing that stood out to me the most was student choice and engagement with their own identities and experiences of their own culture that they can share with their peers. A classroom shouldn't be plain or restricted where students can not express their ideas or skills just so teachers can fill a quota. Classrooms should have students work and students own crafts or projects rather than the "cute affirmation commercial posters". The desks should be in my opinion in circles where it promotes group work and collaboration. Although Students do not get to choose their curriculum, they should be able to choose how they want to learn about it. This fosters more engagement for students and a sense of voice for them. Learning should be more hands rather the teacher being front and center like Kohn mentioned in his chart. The environment of the whole school should feel safe and comfortable that also promotes unity and welcomes the communities around the school area. 

Reflection: I for one wished my academic career growing up was more hands and student led. It would have made school and learning a lot more fun and engaging. seeing kids want to learning is the reasons why I want to teach. But first it starts in the classroom and branches out to the communities around us. we can not be afraid to challenge the status quo when it comes to teaching our students and them teaching us about who they are, what they want to be and what they want out of learning that can benefit their culture and others around them as well. 

Hyperlink: https://www.workitdaily.com/perfect-classroom/2-academic-rigor 

The Academic and Social value of Ethnic studies

 The Academic and social value of ethnic studies, by Christine Sleeter 

This blog will be a reflection. 

 Reading this text, really hit home for me. Growing up in school, ethnic studies or studies of people of color was never really a focus. We did not focus on their achievements or how much people of color contributed or changed American society or even the world, instead we focused on pain and the trauma of the past. Every Black history month, all that was taught was how African Americans went through slavery and how Jim crow affected them specifically during the reconstruction era after the American civil war. We never got to learn about Booker T Washington who created and founded one of the nations most HBCU's Tuskegee University. Every time we focused on African Americans and slavery, it was always uncomfortable, because I was always the only African American in my class. The Education system in                                                                          America should allow all of curriculum to have each representations of people color, so that their history and culture, voice is being heard and learned, So that way we gain a respectful and appreciative understanding of the world around us. So many cultures around the world have so much history and achievements that can help bring unity and help educate us on issues that need solutions or discussions on how gain a new perspective of things.

Here is a article from the National Association for Multicultural education: 

https://www.nameorg.org/learn/ethnic_studies_or_multicultura.php

It is important that students have a multicultural education because it will help them understand the bigger picture in the world, learning about other's history than your own can foster new minds and new innovative ideas to change the world and one can gain respect and love for the differences that make up our unique and diverse world and nation today.

Shifting the Paradigm

 Shifting the Paradigm from Deficit oriented schools to asset based models, by: Shanon Renkly and Katherine Bertolini  This blog will mainly be a connection

hyperlink: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/currents/17387731.0001.110/--what-is-deficit-thinking-an-analysis-of-conceptualizations?rgn=main;view=fulltext

These models are based on how students learn and develop in their academic growth. The are many various ways for students to remain focused and achieve academic success. Some connections I made through reading is the education structure. In schools students are already ingrain in a bell to work to bell system. It ignores all the problems that students and teachers face when giving instructions. How can teachers prepare lesson plans that will  not only grab the students attention but let them retain it and apply to their skillset. I believe having a lesson plan that is really hands on and involves the students engagement can make plans and methods a lot easier to maintain and fluxgate with that. How can teachers as well make lesson around students who are either below grade level or have a disability is key.

the frame work must be reworked. Teacher's can plan lessons that can satisfy the requirements of the given core curriculum but also keep these students engaged . for example a teachers can plan a lesson with Ela at the beginning of the school year and develop a elevator pitch with students to break the ice and get to know one another completing lesson plan based upon that core Ela requirement for the day or even week if the teacher so plans.

Educational Policies

 What counts as educational policy: Jean Anyon

This is blog post is a personal reflection on my end. Throughout reading this text, it became to relatable as someone who spent my elementary childhood in a poverty, failing school district. some examples that I have personally struggled with was not having the amount of resources, and educational core curriculum that could have made middle and secondary education slightly more better. I did however get the chance to work in the Providence school system and experiencing first hand how students lacked resources due to poverty school environment, transportation and valuable educational opportunities that providence students need. I specifically remember in 2018, I believe in a article  where the Providence public school system had a received a terrible report on their educational well-being, from students not testing well on standardize tests, to students not developing social emotional skills. this report led a major rise in the refurbishing of most providence public school buildings. but what seemed good on the outside, only made things terrible on  the inside. Students still struggled and did not receive proper curriculum that interest them or challenged them.

Here is the 

article: https://reportcard.ride.ri.gov/201819/DistrictSnapshot?DistCode=28

Explore this article and the data!

Share out: As will be further discussed in class, This is a subject I am passionate about and hope to lead a discussion on what are the pros and cons of educational policies especially in our state.

Khan the rising Broken Model

 This Blog is mainly featured on the readings of Khan "The Broken Model", and the video of "The short history of American school" .  this blog is going to be a connection and a firm agreement of both the text and video.

This reading and video resonated with me on a deeper level. To see that education today has been continually failing our students, it brought to me, my attention on how can we mix things up or even change this cycle of training our students to be subordinate adults, who will one day work for 40 plus years. Our society has created this cycle of putting kids through a never ending day of bell ringing, sit still, hand raised and perfect lines, to only then be rewarded with little to nothing. I agree with the argument of what the video made. our students do not learn the skills to operate in the real world, skills that if taught early on can help them. Now that we are so technologically advanced, we should create new ways of teaching that suit their needs, if young students got a chance to pick and choose which classes they would be interested in, like college's and universities then education would make a massive resurgence. Public school, private school, and charter schools may suit the interests of every child. giving them a choice and ways to help make that choice could.

Reflection: Our schools and education need a massive overhaul as educators it is our job and mission to do to suit the needs of every child. To make sure that their voice and future is heard. 

below is an article that goes a lot deeper:

Why schools need to change

Privilege, Power, and Differences

The book title is called readings for diversity and social justice. 

As a reflection, this book made me look upon the many experience's I have faced being a young black male in America. there were many times where i have experienced racism in school and outside of school. One example I can give, was when I was in high school, I had transferred to a predominantly white high school and one student touched my hair without my permission and made fun of me due to where I grew up and came from. It is highly important that we teach our children and youth to respect one another and their lived experience's. so many of  our young students come from a vast background with so much unique cultures and traditions. It is very vital we do not mock or make fun of them.  the best solution we can do is to learn and appreciate who they are as in individuals and a whole as a group. 

A point in class I will share is in what ways can students learn to respect each other regardless of racial and other backgrounds, and how can we as educators learn to teach and educate ourselves to on the diversity in our nation and technological world as well.