They Say/ I say Reflection

This excerpt summarizes exactly what I have trouble doing. I find it very troublesome to somehow incoorporate the opposing side into my argument. When I have a strong opinon about a such topic, I stick with it not allowing any room for discussion. One section of this piece "Put yourself in their Shoes" explains how a writer should suspend his/her own beliefs otherwise the summary becomes totally bias, resulting in distortion towards your entire piece. In my opinion, I think this is a great lesson to help young writers learn. If students learned how to write along with the argument, still adding their position, it would be beneficial for the future. I also think that everyone has the ability to be persuaded. In the section "Know Where You Are Going" says stating the opposing side is fair and allows you to exert an influence, this can help your opinion stand out even more. I definitely need to learn more about this topic.

They Say I Say Reflection

I totally agree with the fact that some people write summeries to play it safe, so that they arnt judged by what they think, or what their opinion is. But in order to make your summery interesting, you need to be able to crasp the readers attention. The best way to do this is by adding a hint of your own opinion. it gives the writing alittle zest. But I also believe that in order for people to read what you are writing, they need to be able to relate to it. That is why you need to show where other views might be coming. The most boring summery a writer can ever create is on that becomes a list, just rattling off what happned. The best way to write a good summery is to represent whatever is being summerized with dignity, but also putting your onwn creativity in it.

"They Say / I Say" response

I find it really surprising; Graff and Birkenstein believe that your voice should be recognizable in a summary is extremely important. I have trouble maintaining my voice in papers already, so I wholeheartedly agree within the first paragraph when they say that your voice can be lost in summarizations. I think this will be really hard to fix since what you're summarizing isn't what you wrote but somebody else's work, and they deserve all the credit in a summary. However, voicing is a step in becoming a better writer. They also urge us to keep a balance between you and the author while staying focused, which is difficult but very true. Brittany's idea of a "happy medium" is exactly what they're suggesting in their essay. Although it is super hard to summarize an article that expresses differing opinions from what you believe, they are still right. You have to wait until a seperate part of the paper where you express your beliefs. Or you could just write one of those satirical essays they are talking about.... either works.

What I find most interesting though is their comment on "list summaries". Those 'they say' and 'i say' introductions in summaries are complete no-no's. While reading that, I started to wonder if this was a problem in my writing. I never even thought about that being a problem until now, and I know that a clear and interesting voice in my papers is missing sometimes. So, after reading this, I'm going to proof-read my short assignment that's due on Friday to see if I ever wrote one of these poor introductions in my summary. If I did, I will be really embarrassed. However, it will only make me a better writer. I suggest, not 'say', that you should do the same for your papers. Use the language and verbs suggested at the end of the essay.

By the way... did anyone catch the "they say" I wrote in my first paragraph? Wow...

They Say/I Say

I found this article to be very interesting and very true. In high school we had to do numerous persuasive papers. The thing that I had the most trouble on was putting myself in the other person's position. Although I had very strong facts and points that made my paper hard to argue against, I lacked empathy for the other side. This in fact made my paper very weak. This didn't necessarily make me a poor writer, it made me human. I think English classes should focus more on looking at the other side when assigning persuasive papers. I think a lot of people have difficulty putting themselves in the other side's shoes, especially when the topic is something they're passionate about.
Another thing I found interesting was the happy medium the author discussed. I wasn't always the boldest writer and I often found myself in the trap of all summary and no input. This was the safe route that always gave me a decent grade. Reading the article, I started to realize that my previous papers didn't depict my voice. After our first portfolio, I've come to realize that your voice is what makes your paper unique and simply summarizing doesn't bring out your true opinions. Not summarizing enough can also have a negative impact on your writing. Like most other things, you need to find a happy medium to complete a successful paper.

Float On

Of the collaborative essay Floating Foundations, many of my highlighted sentences with asterisks in the margins came from Joe's third of the piece. For me, Joe captures the distinction between the two individual floating foundations, physical space and rhetoric, and then shows how they are intertwine. Additionally, he draws a great parallel to his cocooning and denial. He uses his own rhetoric to expand the thesis of vitality of rhetoric within a post-Katrina community in order to grow.

He continues saying that oftentimes it is easy to distance ourselves from something of the same category. Wordy, I know, but, for example, going to school in Madison, I rarely walk outside the six block vicinity of my classes. That is, I am never really off-campus. I understand this is a far larger city than what I know, but I confine myself inside invisible boundaries. In the past, it was scientific method that hypothesized that humans were divided into subcategories, supporting racism and slavery. The idea that people with different physical features could still be civilized and human, too, was denied. Underlining the goal to rebuild the Tulane english department, a stronger significance the authors portray is this idea of redirecting thought from temporary, specific to floatable and general. To me, this meant the ability to see past the current, the blend the boundaries of one place to another, because one may become the other, because they are continuous. And this is the most important thought because the connection between critical thinking as a floating foundation and the idea that separation is actually indistinct is clear.

It is hard to articulate my thoughts of the essay, but I do not feel comfortable restating their, very true, very eye-opening arguments. I can only agree.

The article “Floating Foundations” emphasizes the point that school can be used to reunite people in any circumstance. In the case of New Orleans, the teachers used education and school to bring community together as well as reflect and make suggestions for post-Katrina. Judith Kemerait Livingston thought, “Katrina so radically de-familiarized the United States that it exposed issues like economic inequality, failing public schools, and crumbling infrastructure in a way that simultaneously educated us and demanded action from us.” This is what struck me as most important within the article. Education can be seen as a fix for anything because education demands new solutions and thinking. By directly linking education and course material to the world around us, the students were more actively engaged, like in the article we read “Living Savage Inequalities.” It is important to note the class material is always changing though due to changing times.

Floating Foundations - Livingston

While reading it wasn't hard to draw parallels between the examples of course material in the article and those of our class. We write responses to recently published articles and comment on others posts in a blog, which is similar to the professor's wiki assignment for Tulane students. We're assigned topics for writing that fall under a main category and are expected to develop critical conclusions in those essays, also much like the students at Tulane. Though the structure of our course was not as a restructuring in response to a natural disaster, I feel it's possible that our class, too, has been designed as a 'floating foundation' of sorts. Many teachers now see as the sole possibility for keeping students actively engaged in the coursework, and rightfully so.

Upon reading about the students who were not exposed to the surroundings of New Orleans during the devastation, I found myself agreeing with their nonchalance. Post-Katrina, I also felt that there was too much coverage of the event, and discussion of it got old. I was not directly exposed to it and felt no connection to the event. It would have been torture to write about it for a whole semester. The way that the professor went about redirecting the course in order to better incorporate those who felt this way was a much more suitable option. While Katrina was obviously a large shaping factor of everything in our nation that year and following, Livingston's comment really sums up how quickly our generation moves on. "Looking back, I recognize that I underestimated the pace at which students adapt to a changing present: how much, as adolescents, they are already at home on foundations that float."

Floating Foundations

Livingston writes a lot about adapting her English course to the students and their experiences. Everyone in her classes had a different take on what had happened in the hurricane. But even more than that, as new students came into the university, they had an even more different take on the event. The students that were there or lived in New Orleans when the hurricane hit were much more attached to the subject and could make all kinds of connections from it. She writes, “In fact, incoming freshmen in my fall 2007 classes rarely expressed any interest in Katrina, but instead increasingly talked about ‘moving beyond Katrina’” (40). As time went on, the older students who had connections to the University pre-Katrina moved on and graduated while new ones came in who only knew New Orleans post-Katrina. The newer students were not interested in reflecting on what had happened, but rather wanted to focus on rebuilding and dealing with the aftermath.

The teacher’s approach in her English class had to change, because the assignments were geared towards the students who had been there and witnessed the dramatic changes. Those students were no longer in her class, and thus was not benefiting the new students in the same ways as the assignments had before. This makes me think of September 11, 2001. I remember very clearly what happened that morning. I can play it back in my mind. I was in fifth grade, and I remember coming down from my room for breakfast and my mom was there already making my lunch with the news on. At that point, the first plane had already hit the first tower and I watched Good Morning America with disbelief. About ten minutes later, I watched the second plane crash. Live.

Since then, we have talked about 9/11 on its anniversary and always done a few minutes of reflection, especially in our English classes in middle and high school. I will never forget that morning. I read “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” in high school and thought it was a great book. I saw United 93 and World Trade Center and though they were extremely hard to watch, they were very good movies. But now I have to wonder if my little cousins who were born in 1999 and 2000 will feel the same way if they see those movies and read that book. Will they have the same reactions as I did? Will they feel that connection even though they don’t remember what they were doing on that day, that morning? Will teachers continue to provide a time during class to reflect, write, and talk about what happened? I would hope so, but I’m not sure if the younger students will find it helpful or useful like I did.

Scandalous

It seems like Andrew Delbanco's main point with college is that it is a business. In business you can't be fair but you can be ethical which essentially was his main point. Look these colleges want the best students and those students come out of the best highschools. What makes a high school have strong programs? Funding which comes from property tax of the neighborhoods surrounding the high school. So only the rich neighborhoods have all the best programs available which is what the colleges want to see.
Besides how do these colleges pay for the low income students who can't afford tuition? They raise overall tuition and put the expense on the high income students. Essentially they create a catch 22, in order to except more low income kids they need to raise prices making it even harder for middle income people to afford to go there and making it more a billionaire boys club. I can't think of a way to make college cheaper for everyone unless the government decides to pay for it. So unless we become socialist its going to remain unfair but that doesn't mean its unattainable.

Blog- A Passion For Teaching and Opinions

On the blog "A Passion for Teaching and Opinions" a high school teacher tells stories of her classroom and school experience. Issues are also brought up about problems with education in general. This blog is fun to read and includes funny stories that people can relate to having been through public schooling.

"I'm OK--You Have Self-Esteem "

I'm writing in response to the blog "I'm OK--You Have Self-Esteem ". I found it interesting and eye opening. It described how it is necessary for students to feel that they are worthy and important in order to succeed in the classroom. The author explained that teachers also feel the need to critique their students in a harsh manner in order for students to be able to keep up with our competitive world at large in other realms (economic, medical, etc). I believe there needs to be a balance between harsh criticism, critique, and self-esteem boosting activities. If kids are constantly being told how amazing they are, what's going to make them want to work harder? They will then feel discouraged if someone tells them that they really aren't as amazing as others told them. Kids should be rewarded for their smarts and capabilities but we need to limit our praises for them. They can't be good at everything and we shouldn't let them think that they are- it's only realistic. The author described the bad effects of too much self-esteem with a story of high school athletes raping a "mildly retarted" eight year old girl. These athletes had probably been told their whole lives how great they were on the field and maybe their egos went to their head. Who's to say? What's important to learn here is that kids need to fail to succeed but they also need to know that they are good at things and they can accomplish something bigger.

"Scandals of Higher Education"

As I read Andrew Delbanco's story on the "Scandals of Higher Education" I became angry myself with our academic system in the United States. I feel that the wealthy are able to send their children to higher caliber colleges and universities because they have the money to get them to that point. For example: These parents can send their children to the best private schools with the best college guidance counselors and best SAT prep tutors. The system, in a sense, is rigid to serve the wealthy because these students are better equipped to attend Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, for example. Delbanco described his thoughts on these colleges recruitment status, "Our richest colleges could and should do a better job of recruiting needy students, which would require spending more money on the effort to find and support them." I agree with this statement completely. Some of these students may be attending private high schools on scholarship or an everyday public high school, but regardless, it needs to be recognized that these kids are capable of the Ivy's academic arena. The collegiate system is getting tougher to get into as the years go by and I was happy to see that this article recognized that and supported view points that go against the norm of society.

Andrew Delbanco, “Scandals of Higher Education”

Andrew Delbanco, through the utilization of a variety of essays, conveys an underlining problem within the university system. Colleges are failing to provide an equal opportunity to students of disadvantageous upbringings. The elite campuses of America remain a stronghold for wealthy Americans, while erroneously proclaiming equality in regards to the application process. Qualified students are being left behind. The blame is not solely the universities, but can be attributed to the society we live in today.

The college admission process is complicated, often leaving students in a vague grey area in regards to top-flight school. The process is neither fair nor unfair to all students. Standardized tests, once thought to be the great academic equalizer, reveal the systems problems. Universities publish reports of the median scores of its accepted students. According to these scores, students can gauge their possibility of admission. The system rewards good scores. Good scores can be obtained by anyone, but not everyone. Wealthy students score higher due to the resources available to them, so elite schools are riddled with privileged students. Not to stay that they are not qualified, but a test score is not the only marker of intelligence and often discredits qualified students. Society is consumed with the importance of numbers. Whether test score, ethnic, or gender diversity colleges are expected to portray themselves as being a place of equality in regards to educations.

The removal of standardized testing, however, is not the solution to the growing class disparity. The intent of the test is to indicate natural ability, and give an opportunity to students from poor high schools.

I sympathize for the deans of admission. Applications struggle to convey the entire person, which makes the decision process difficult. I do not believe in any quick solution to this problem, and question where the middle class comes into this debate.

So many people are disgruntled over the current system, but it is what we have. Play the game.

Brian D. Schultz, "Living Savage Inequalities"

Most of the time when I think about the stereotypical poor slums of Chicago I think about gangs and violence and a poor learning community. I'm guessing most people probably think the same thing. Reading this story I find it amazing that these fifth graders care about their school. Most kids that attend schools that are run down and dirty don't normally care about their education. If I had to go to a school like that I probably wouldn't care about my education either. If the government doesn't care enough about my education to give me a decent learning environment why should I care about my education either. It's incredible that these kids care enough about their school to try and make a difference.
The other part of the article that interested me was the teaching style of Brian D. Schultz. I think it's a lot easier to learn when you can related it to your own life. Towards the end of high school the English classes started adopting a new style. For every story we read we had to write a couple sentences about how we could relate the story to our life, to another story, and to the world. I think that learning style definately helped me connect with the story which in turn raised my grade. I think it would be beneficial to all students if teachers tried relating the work that we do to the real world so we could better understand it.

Living Savage Inequalities Analysis

Living in Delafield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, I knew I was very fortunate to be provided with the opportunity to get a great education. As far as school systems are concerned, all I really knew was that as you approached inner city Milwaukee schools, the quality of education definitely went downhill. Until reading this article, I had not realized the extent of the conditions of such schools.

I agree with Mr. Schultz that social class is a determining factor in the way students are taught. This is sad but true. I was appalled by the statements of the conditions of the students’ school. Just hearing about the children not having an adequate learning facility made me empathize with them. The poor conditions of the building were injustices to the students. There was no way the students should have had to be expected to further their knowledge and learning experience in such conditions. I found Mr. Schultz’s notion that “the role of a teacher is to provide opportunity and space to students. A teacher must ultimately embrace intelligence, allowing students to leverage what they know, and what they already can successfully accomplish.” to be a very powerful statement. Mr. Schultz knew what the children needed in order to learn, and he wanted to be able to provide this for them. He wanted the students to use their imagination, creativity, and interest to develop a love for learning.

It is true that all students deserve to receive good instruction, dedication, and nurturing from reliable resources. These resources are the schools. The statement from Tavon, “We think everyone should have a good home and a good school. Don’t you agree?” came across as very strong. That shouldn’t be something a child should have to fight for. It should be something that the child can take advantage of in order to prosper and better themselves as a person. The students needed this school setting in order to demonstrate and practice their intelligences. I found it remarkable how eager the students were to pursue this problem of their falling down school. They wanted to know how they could influence change. They knew that they deserved an equal opportunity to have a great school.

It was really mindboggling to realize how much the students wanted to learn once they were learning about a topic that affected them and they were passionate about. Their goal was to make a difference in their learning facility, and be equipped with a good school. This ultimate shared goal united the students to work together and seek accomplishment. I am proud of the students for writing so many letters to representatives and showing them everything that was wrong with their school and why they deserved a new one. I applaud them for never giving up on their goal and continually trying to influence the ultimate decision makers.

In the scheme of things, a decent school is absolutely nothing to ask for. It should be assumed. All children are entitled to one and deserve to be provided the opportunity to get a good education. I thought it was true that even though the students did not get their new school, they had already won by fighting for something they believed in and accomplishing multiple improvements within the school. The students’ confidence and willingness to work toward their goal was extremely impressive for a group of 5^th graders. I was intrigued by the concept of “superb alternatives” and like the sentence, “They needed to know that while they were fighting for what they believed in, they were accomplishing, receiving, and experiencing ‘superb alternatives’ even if they did not get the perfect solution.”

The students put forth an incredible amount of effort towards spreading the word and getting others involved. They took on leadership roles. The numerous letters supporting the students and encouraging them, as well as replying to letters the students sent, was shocking. I couldn’t believe that the group of 5^th graders had spread the word the way they did. I thought the happiest part of the outcome was that the students began believing in themselves and realizing their capabilities. It is true that “Now awakened, the young peoples’ intelligence and inspiration, interest and imagination, certainly drove their learning.” Student interest definitely contributed to their success. The project of working towards a new school was important to them. I believe that this article and education can be concluded by the line, “The students were given the prospect and responsibility to be active participants in the development and design of their own learning, fostering an ‘enabling education.’”

Living Savage Inequalities Response

I saw Living Savage Inequalities as an eye-opening story about the democracy of education. Brian D. Schultz’s idea of letting his eleven-year-old students set the curriculum for the class seemed risky, but ended up being nothing short of genius. The students in Schultz’s class were forced to think outside of the textbook norm for the first time, and chose a problem that they all cared deeply about: improving their school.

I think that this is a prime example of how education is an inevitable experience that is most valuable when it isn’t forced upon someone. The students in classroom 405 transformed from unmotivated and unprepared to willing and motivated, and it was because the criteria directly related to them. These underprivileged children all of the sudden were learning how to “prepare documentation including their survey results, photos, and written assessments.” Attendance and discipline were no longer an issue and they were operating above their previous level. I don’t believe that any of this would have happened if Schultz didn’t give them the opportunity take leadership and apply what they were learning to their everyday life.

"Living Savage" Response

I thought the article "Living Savage" gave great insight into the underpriveledged school systems of America. Large cities, such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, and others continue to be racially segregated, in not just neighborhoods, but obviously schools and important places. The article highlights the broken school systems of these large cities extremely well by describing the 5th graders situation. It's upsetting that elementary school kids have to fight for what should be rightfully theirs in the first place, which is a safe and sanitary environment to learn in. I think it's incredible that 5th graders are learning about their government and petitioning at such a young age. Their teacher gave them a wonderful opportunity to learn, achieve, and create change for themselves. The knowledge they will aquire will surely not go to waste.

On the other hand, I wonder what kind of education they have to sacrifice in order to fight for a better school. I wonder how much math and science they can learn with the remaining time, drive, and yearning for knowledge they have left over from their main goals. While their efforts for their school is applaudable, I hope they still have the opportunities to be like any other 5th grade student. I hope they are able to learn about multiplication, division, and about scientific things, like the ecosystems and what molecules are. At the same time, I wonder if they are able to learn mathematic and scientific concepts, how useful these concepts would be within their lives.