school paper

School is a society based of roles, as a whole education is filled with different jobs that we al fit into. The teachers are the narrators and the students are just there to soak in little pieces of information and then slowly put all the pieces together as they progress threw school. As I look back threw my recent years of school I wonder why some students make it while others don’t. Is it there race, or is it because they have a learning disability, or is it simply because they just aren’t interested in school anymore? After reading threw the many articles assigned to us, doing my own research, and reading The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time by Mark Haddon I found that many students who just aren’t interested in school or have a learning disability have a harder time of succeeding and schools don’t tend to there needs. If schools spent more time making the school day more interesting and combatable for kids with disabilities or who are discriminated against more kids would be eager to stay/ go to school.

After reading a text by Gatto I found his opinion to be very interesting. He explored some major points of how schools don’t prepare us for the future and how un schooling can actually be better at certain times. Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Benjamin Franklin where all smart successful men who changed America without attending school. This goes to show you how school isn’t the only way to achieve your goals. Gatto also brought up another point that really made me think. “They said teachers didn’t seem to know much about their subjects and clearly weren’t interested in learning more. And kids were right: their teachers were every bit bored as they were” If teachers aren’t interested in the subject there teaching why should the students be? Teachers are the role models of the class and set an example of success, if the teachers don’t want to learn more about there own subject and make things interesting what’s the point in teaching? Schools have gone from being structured to just being a building kids spend 7 to 8 hours in a day. Between 1905 and 1915 3 main reasons for school was one, make good people, two, to make good citizens, and three, to make each person his or her personal best. I agree with Gatto on the fact that these three reasons are great reasons to have a structured school but without teachers who care and are engaged in the subject there teaching structure is the last thing education needs to worry about.

Waking up at 6 is never fun regardless if you’re an early riser or not. During the winter it’s uninviting to get out of your warm cozy pajamas to go out into the cold frigid world, but what if you had something to look forward to? Something that kept your mind off of the cold and all the troubles you face when you go home from school? Schools should give every student the opportunity to do something they enjoy and then try to base their curriculum off of that. At least that’s what Delpit believes; she thinks that art is a great way to get kids of color interested in school. She stated “Teachers who see their students engaged in the arts have an opportunity to see their students in a different light” If all it takes for a student to be looked at differently is to do something they love an enjoy each student should have there own time to shine and show off there own personal talent. If graffiti or music making where turned into a project in certain classes such as a math project had to be turned into a musical or a science experiment was based off of the chemicals in a spray paint can, I believe that students who are less likely to show up to school everyday would be a lot more interested in something they can actually connect to.

In the Curious Incident Of The Dog In The night-time by Mark Haddon The main character Christopher is faced with multiple challenges. Not only is he singled out from the world because he has asburgers syndrome; he is all singled out at the school he goes to where other students have learning disabilities. At school his teacher taught him how to analyze certain symbols to indicate certain feelings and emotions. It took months for Chris to finally get the hang of everything and catch on but his teacher never gave up on him and stuck with him till he finally understands how everything connected. If that time and dedication was spent in schools all over America students wouldn’t struggle as much and student’s with learning disabilities such as ADD, ADHD, dyslexia or asburgers such as Chris wouldn’t feel so distant form the educational word. As I was skimming over the curious incident of the dog in the night-time a quote popped out to me “Sometimes the children from the school down the road see us in the street when we’re getting off the bus and they, shout “Special Needs! Special Needs!” Page 44 In order for kids with learning disabilities to feel safe and confident in school not only teachers but students as well need to be more understanding and try to help the kids who struggle. A strong community that works well together gets a lot farther then a community that doesn’t… at least that’s what my mom tells me.

The president of the United States, what an honor that must be. You’re in charge of America and your opinion is one of the most important. But what is it about the President that makes him seem so inspirational? Is it because he has gone through exactly what every teenager is going through now? Or is it the fact that all his hard work and dedication made it when the odds where against him? Barack Obama is a great example of how if there is a teacher figure in your life helping you through with your goals and ambitions it makes the process of learning easier. Freire brought up that the education system is like a bank. Students are deposited information and when its needed we give it all back, but this information is mostly regurgitated information that isn’t deeply thought about. From a students point of view when where given information we write it down and probably never look at it again unless we know its going to be on a quiz or test. If teachers took more time on certain important subjects within their subject and really explained everything in detailed I believe more students would struggle less if there is a learning disability involved.

After evaluating all the articles assigned in class, reading the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, and doing personal research I’ve come to the conclusion that school and education as a whole need to work better to fit every students needs and not single out the ones who need extra help or attention. Time and dedication will help lead to a better school community and success rate if everyone just pitched in and tried harder. It will take time but a slow progression is better then none at all.

hw 49

My contribution to the film was that i was one of the students that was trying to save the teacher, and help him quit his addiction. Although we didn't finish the film i believe the tone and message still got across. We chose to do the opposite of all the teacher savior films we saw and use the students as the savior instead of the teacher. In our film the kids helped open up the teachers eyes and make him realize he was a role model for all his students and that what he was doing wouldn't only effect him in the long run but would also effect the people who looked up to him.

He was trying to teach the students about the dark side of history and this really intrigued all of them, since the first day of school the teacher gained the students respect, so when students found him in his room after a school party they found out about his addiction, this makes the tone very dark and sketchy. The movie goes from being motivating to a tremendous downfall. Even though the students helped the teacher recuperate and stop his habit for a while he has a relapse becasue his best friend dies and all there hard work goes right back down the drain.

Now compared to the teacher savior films we saw in class i don't think ours can be compared (and i don't mean that in a good way) one we did not finish, and two i don't think the "saving" really helped the person in need. There wasn't a dramatic turn around and respect was lost not gained. Some things that can be compared is that in both our film and the ones we saw in class there was always the group of students that cared and where on the teachers side. Also there was some change in everyones attitude and there was a turning point in the films.I believe that if we had more time and actually finished the film we would have been able to really show the "saving" and how the students really impacted the teachers life.

In our culture many teachers either try to hard to be a savior or they just don't care. During the time period of the movies we watched the teachers cared a lot more about helping there students and really trying to get them interested in school and there future but in our culture now teachers seem a lot more bored with there job and just want the school year to be over just as much as the kids. If more teachers spent more time caring about students individually i think it would show that teachers care more and the bond between the teacher and students as a whole would be stronger.

hw 50

Against school went over who was truly the blame for school being so boring, and why people are so focused on school when so many people brilliant people have been unschooled. Such as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Benjamin Francklin. John Taylor Gatto stated between 1905 and 1915 3 main reasons for such structured schooling was 1) To make good people 2)To make good citizens 3)To make each person his or her personal best.

In the fist paragraph Gatto stated "They said teachers didn't seem to know much about their subjects and clearly weren't interested in learning more. And kids were right: their teachers were every bit bored as they were." I agree with what was stated because if i notice that a teacher doesn't enjoy teaching their subject it gives me the feeling like well if the teacher isn't interested well neither am i. The teachers have control of the classroom and although it seems that the students control it most of the time, if the teacher doesn't demand respect or acts as if the class is boring or to much to handle that's when we stop caring.

Freire had to main ideas, one was teachers are narrating a subject while the students are just there to listen and take in everything the teacher narrates to them. His second main idea was that education is like a banking company, students are to digest "deposits" and regurgitate what they digest when needed. He believes that the whole educational system is oppressed and the only way to fix that is by "Changing the consciousness of the oppressed, not the situation which oppresses them"

While reading through Freire's text i found it very interesting when he stated "The student records, memorizes, and repeats these phrases without perceiving what four times four really means or realizing the true significance" I agree with this because as students most of us just listen to what we need to know and don't really learn it, meaning we don't understand the real meaning of what we are learning. We do what we need in order to get by a pass so really understanding the meaning of a concept isn't very common in most students. I also agree with the fact that education is like a bank because students are in school to just learn and spit out what they are "taught" i put that in quotations because i believe that being taught is when you can explain every detail of what ever it is you are talking about, not just regurgitate the common facts.

For the interview with Delpit she was exploring the difference between urban schools that give students the chance to have a fair opportunity to show their brilliance. She wants to be able to give kids of color who are low income to experience the same chance as kids who have better chance of succeeding. Delpit believes that if kids are more interested in the arts it will be easier to express them in school.

I believe that if kids are interested in something such as art (graffiti) its will interest them in school a lot more. I think what Delpit is trying to accomplish is very important to our community because if kids of color are pushed to go to school more and are pulled in by something they enjoy i think they will be more eager to go.

Mr Fanning's point was that many kids where failing this class because they don't do their blogs and that's all you grade in this class. Mr Fanning also stated that many college classes are blog based and this will be a good experience to get us ready for college experience. He got pretty emotional when he started talking about how many novels and books are getting over powered by electronics and before we know it books won't be around anymore.

I agree with Mr Fanning on the fact that most kids are failing this class because of the blog. I think there should be more things graded in class, but besides that i also agree that books won't be around much longer because everything is getting digital. Hopefully that doesn't change the importance of literature.

48

Its the first day of school in s typical high school setting with the jocks, rebels, outcast, and kids who only go to school because there parents want them to become a doctor or lawyer. Mind you this whole film is in black and white.

During lunch one of the jocks Johnny knocks one of the rebels Fransisco's lunch tray out his hand. This later turns into a big rumble between the jocks and the rebels.

As the rumble is getting more intense Johnny's girlfriend Marisa breaks out into a song which grabs every one's attention. She goes to grab Johnny's hand t calm her down but reluctantly he goes and knocks her to the ground. Fransisco then goes to help Marisa up and at that moment you could "see sparks fly".

The Principal shows up and tells everyone to get to class. As every disappears towards the halls they soon later meet up and realize they all have the same class together. The rebels start bumping loud screamo music and throw there feet up on the desk as the jocks throw around a football. The new teacher miss cockster walks in and writes her name on the chalkboard, and of course all the students start laughing. Fransisco breaks into a song about how this school is a joke and how we never use any of the things we learn in school in the real world. Although miss cockster looks like a fragile old women she is in fact very much in shape and has a secret life as an C.I.A agent.

She slams down a text book and tells them how there outside life doesn't relate to anything in class and that all there bullshit and stereotype's can be left out the door or they shouldn't even bother coming to class. She asks one of the students to "drop a beat" for her with out any resistance he starts be boxing and she spits out the illest rap about how everything you learn in school does eventually help you with daily life.

Through out the whole time of Miss Cockster's speech Marisa and Fransisco have been passing notes between each other and Miss Cockster can't take it anymore she grabs the note and reads it out loud, this springs up the talk about Marisa and Fransisco being "secret lovers" and that infuriates Johnny.

A screaming match breaks out which leads to both students being taken to the principals

office. Johnny and fransiscos parents are called. The class continues and Miss cockster brings up how she wants to raise awareness in the community that school isn't dumb and actually very useful. The Kids later come up with many ways to raise awareness such as school carnivals and plays.

Everyone gets distracted by there school work that they all work together as a team and soon learn that no matter where you come form or what category you fall under in school everyone is alike and difference shouldn't stop you from achieving.

All the students show personal growth Johnny and Marisa end up breaking up and Marisa goes out with fransisco they both end up dropping out of school and turning into druggies. Miss cockster is so distraught by this that she starts drinking.

As soon as the students find out about miss Cocksters fall out they all get together and try to bring her hopes back up and show her how many kids they got to come into school all because she tried to make school a safe and enjoyable enviorment. After a couple of weeks miss cockster gets back on her feet and gets back into action.

The year winds down and all the students successfully move on to the next grade. While miss cockster finds a lover over the Internet and gets married so her name is no longer miss cockster it is now ms Rubin.

movie ideas

1. Instead of showing the kids change show the teacher making a drastic change

2. Turn it into a musical

3. Have the movie in black and white for a more dramatic effect.

4. We should all dress like a certain ethnic stereo type

5. Don't have just one main character

6. Instead of everyone have a bad life at home everyone could have a picture perfect life.