In the selection from our text, Lisa Delpit writes, "[Teachers] should recognize that the linguistic form a student brings to school is intimately connected with loved one’s community, and personal identity. To suggest that this form is 'wrong' or, even worse, ignorant, is to suggest that something is wrong with the student and his or her family." Delpit is a known advocate for breaking the race barrier in schools, so it only makes sense that she mentions this in her writing about "Ebonics," or the language with which many African-Americans communicate. In speaking about the different ways in which students speak, she offers each of her readers an opportunity to reflect on the way in which effective teachers form connections with students.
Many people would accept the sentiment that good, quality educators are able to build good, quality rapports with his or her students. Also, many may agree that this includes understanding a students background, and what sort of conditions they come from. What many people, including myself, fail to realize is that students, regardless of race, subconsciously relate the way they speak to who they are as a person. Delpit asks us then to see language, such as Ebonics, in a new light. Something she writes that struck me was how students who read words out loud in Ebonics still have to understand what it is they are reading. She explains that these students must, in a way, translate the reading into Ebonics to say it.
As an aspiring educator, I can't help but wonder about what my future students will be like. Of course I can't prepare for each and every scenario, but reading things like the Delpit piece offer me some sort of direction. If one day I were to find myself face to face with a language barrier, I would hope to make like Delpit, and break it down.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Friday, September 18, 2015
BlogPost3: A Fall Morning on the Quad
This morning after my 9am class, I went to Einsteins, ordered a pumpkin coffee, then positioned myself in an Adirondack chair on the main quad. I watched people for a little over a half an hour, and observed what they did and where they were going
in hopes to learn more about them, and myself. Below: First is a list of my observations. I decided to include this just so anyone can see all of what I saw. Second, is a T-chart of a few of my observations, and a few interpretations.
After completing this assignment I learned many things about myself. First, I came to know that I am very perceptive of detail. I found it a constant mental effort to slim down the length of my observations. Also, I discovered that one of the first things I notice when observing a person is their clothing. Identifying what each person is wearing allows me to remember them, especially when I can't place a name to a face. For example, I found myself assigning names such as "suspected professor," "nice polo guy," and "black shirt girl." Something that proved to be useful in my case was identifying what I was doing before writing down what others were doing. It allowed me to identify descriptive ideas first, then form educated interpretations. Overall, the things that people were doing at this time were not very different from what I expected. There were occasionally a few people who would catch my attention, such as "Dolly-girl," but my expectations were met with perfect normalcy. This Fall morning, Friday September 18, offered me a touch of self-discovery amidst the ordinary activity of a college campus.
in hopes to learn more about them, and myself. Below: First is a list of my observations. I decided to include this just so anyone can see all of what I saw. Second, is a T-chart of a few of my observations, and a few interpretations.
After completing this assignment I learned many things about myself. First, I came to know that I am very perceptive of detail. I found it a constant mental effort to slim down the length of my observations. Also, I discovered that one of the first things I notice when observing a person is their clothing. Identifying what each person is wearing allows me to remember them, especially when I can't place a name to a face. For example, I found myself assigning names such as "suspected professor," "nice polo guy," and "black shirt girl." Something that proved to be useful in my case was identifying what I was doing before writing down what others were doing. It allowed me to identify descriptive ideas first, then form educated interpretations. Overall, the things that people were doing at this time were not very different from what I expected. There were occasionally a few people who would catch my attention, such as "Dolly-girl," but my expectations were met with perfect normalcy. This Fall morning, Friday September 18, offered me a touch of self-discovery amidst the ordinary activity of a college campus.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Blog Post 2: Believing is Seeing...And Hearing...And Understanding...
According to Lisa Delpit, a prominent member of the education community, "We do not really see with our eyes or hear thorough our ears, but through our beliefs." Obviously our beliefs are not physical appendages through which we comprehend sensory data. Rather, what Lisa Delpit suggests is that our beliefs act as a metaphorical lens of sorts. A lens through which we see, hear, and understand, but in a way that is unique to each person.
Throughout the years we have lived our lives we have been crafting and perfecting these belief-lenses. Our formative childhood experiences perhaps had the greatest influence on the initial forming of what we believe. Everything we have experienced and comprehended since childhood has helped to construct the reality we now see. Furthermore, the beliefs and values we hold within ourselves today undoubtedly have early roots in our lives. For example, I grew up in a very loving environment. As a result, I value family and believe in the power of love. However, it does not take much to find another who may disagree with me.
When we receive information, whether it be through reading or listening, we analyze it in two ways. First, we see or hear it with our eyes or ears. This is very simple and happens with hardly any effort. Next, almost as easily, we react to it based on our beliefs and values. Even in something as simple as reading an article for classroom discussion we can take a personal stance for or against the claims that the author is making.
Finally, because our ability to understand things based on our beliefs is so second nature, one must be conscious of the opinions of others in making statements. While one thing may not have a particular personal bearing on one person, it may mean the world to another. This is of particular importance especially in the classroom. When responding to discussion questions it is best to keep an open mind.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Blog1: A Little About Me
Personal info:
1. I prefer to be called Nick by my teachers and friends, and Nicholas by my family.
2. I am from Stow, Ohio.
3. I hope to become an Adolescent Young Adult (Grades 7-12) educator for either English, or History.
4. I am a member of the JCU Pep Band. We play for all of the home football and basketball games. I play the Alto Saxophone.
I hope to become involved with the Student Union Programming Board, and perhaps a few other student organizations on campus. I hope to become more involved as the year goes on.
I enjoy long distance running, drinking coffee, watching TV shows (both live and from Netflix), reading for pleasure, spending time with my family, and hanging out with friends.
5. Family is what matters most to me.
Please click HERE to be directed to a New York Times article outlining the importance of family. The author draws from Bruce Feiler's book The Secrets of Happy Families: How to Improve Your Morning, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smart, Go Out and Play, and Much More.
I, along with the author of this article, believe that who we are, and how we act, and even the way we learn starts with family. I have been lucky enough to grow up in a very tight-knit extended family. Through my many hours spent with my parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, and grandparents I have been given the many tools necessary to go out into the world and be of service to others. I love spending time with my family and I always look forward to our get togethers.
Learning Style and More:
6. In order for me to take intellectual risks in the classroom, there must be work through which I can be creative. When an assignment requires that I do more than recite facts, or vocabulary, or simply reiterate what the instructor has already dictated, it pushes me to explore the area outside of my comfort zone.
Education Past and Present:
7. Through my education at Holy Family Grade School, and St. Vincent-St. Mary High School I have come in to contact with many teachers. Unfortunately, I have not always had teachers who teach the class effectively. On many an occasion I have been asked by another classmate to explain concepts and review information discussed during class.
Through these interactions I have come to develop a love for educating others. Many teachers (including those in my family) have talked with me about the "Aha!" moment; that moment when a student finally understands the material. Although my encounters with these moments have been brief, they have proven to be driving factors in my journey to become a professional educator.
8. I believe that adapting classrooms to utilize twenty-first century technology is one of the biggest issues facing the field of education. Present day teachers are pinned with the task of experimenting with these technologies, and evaluating which ones work, and which ones seem to fall short. While many classrooms have already incorporated the use of projectors and technologically intelligent white boards, the use of technology as a teaching supplement continues to reshape the surface of modern day learning.
About Dr. Shutkin:
9. Dr. Shutkin, what was it that made you want to be an educator?
What was it that made you stay an educator all these years?
1. I prefer to be called Nick by my teachers and friends, and Nicholas by my family.
2. I am from Stow, Ohio.
3. I hope to become an Adolescent Young Adult (Grades 7-12) educator for either English, or History.
4. I am a member of the JCU Pep Band. We play for all of the home football and basketball games. I play the Alto Saxophone.
I hope to become involved with the Student Union Programming Board, and perhaps a few other student organizations on campus. I hope to become more involved as the year goes on.
I enjoy long distance running, drinking coffee, watching TV shows (both live and from Netflix), reading for pleasure, spending time with my family, and hanging out with friends.
5. Family is what matters most to me.
Please click HERE to be directed to a New York Times article outlining the importance of family. The author draws from Bruce Feiler's book The Secrets of Happy Families: How to Improve Your Morning, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smart, Go Out and Play, and Much More.
I, along with the author of this article, believe that who we are, and how we act, and even the way we learn starts with family. I have been lucky enough to grow up in a very tight-knit extended family. Through my many hours spent with my parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, and grandparents I have been given the many tools necessary to go out into the world and be of service to others. I love spending time with my family and I always look forward to our get togethers.
Learning Style and More:
6. In order for me to take intellectual risks in the classroom, there must be work through which I can be creative. When an assignment requires that I do more than recite facts, or vocabulary, or simply reiterate what the instructor has already dictated, it pushes me to explore the area outside of my comfort zone.
Education Past and Present:
7. Through my education at Holy Family Grade School, and St. Vincent-St. Mary High School I have come in to contact with many teachers. Unfortunately, I have not always had teachers who teach the class effectively. On many an occasion I have been asked by another classmate to explain concepts and review information discussed during class.
Through these interactions I have come to develop a love for educating others. Many teachers (including those in my family) have talked with me about the "Aha!" moment; that moment when a student finally understands the material. Although my encounters with these moments have been brief, they have proven to be driving factors in my journey to become a professional educator.
8. I believe that adapting classrooms to utilize twenty-first century technology is one of the biggest issues facing the field of education. Present day teachers are pinned with the task of experimenting with these technologies, and evaluating which ones work, and which ones seem to fall short. While many classrooms have already incorporated the use of projectors and technologically intelligent white boards, the use of technology as a teaching supplement continues to reshape the surface of modern day learning.
About Dr. Shutkin:
9. Dr. Shutkin, what was it that made you want to be an educator?
What was it that made you stay an educator all these years?
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