Rodriguez "Bilingual Teaching and Learning" Blog 8

With America becoming a melting pot of ethnicity and race, the question of how to teach students the ability to be bilingual or learn multiple languages takes center stage. Whether a school age child is brought up in a home that speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, or any other language, the benefits of speaking multiple languages will help in so many facets of life. With this becoming fact, the question arises, how do teachers that speak only one language become effective in helping multi-languaguage learning students thrive? There is not enough research at this point for a right or wrong answer. Does the onus fall on the families, teachers or students? I feel like there needs to be a collaborative effort between all parties. In this writers opinion, it begins with the department of education putting policies in place that will help all parties thrive. Starting with the educators, they need to be cognizant and versed that society is moving in this direction. This means getting to know the students, their families and incorporate their native language into their curriculum. The teachers need to be willing to learn and grow with their students. Incorporporating different languages into their every day teachings. The students responsibility lies within practicing what they learn, talking to their friends and family in multiple languages. The families responsibility is to their children. Whether it is spending time learning and talking to their child about the benefits of learning multiple languages. Or simply providing their child with the proper avenues to learning multiple languages. Parents must also be part of the solution. The simple truth is that the United States is becoming a melting pot with multiple languages becoming a part of every day life. The success of the future lies within everyone working together.

Choice Reading Blog 7

The article by Finn called Literacy with an attitude, investigates the concept of literacy and how it plays a role in society. The educational system is designed to educate the youth in this country. But are all youths given the same opportunity to learn? To me the answer is simple (NO). There are so many factors that go into a childs education that no two schools could possibly offer the same opportunity. There are different teachers with different ideas on how to educate in every classroom in every school in the country. That alone is enough to differ the education provided at each institution. Then you throw in resources, funding, location, surrounding area, population, time, accessability and countless more factors it becomes impossible to provided a uniform opportunity for every child. A theme I find in almost every school I have ever attended is literacy and education leads to opportunity, and how literadcy affects class and race. The concept that how educating the lower classes will affect the upper classes is an interesting one. I firmly believe that any person no matter race or class that is driven hard enough to study and work hard will eventually be given an opportunity. With that being said, it can be much more difficult for a student that has an incredible drive for success and comes from an inner-city diverse population to get the same opportunity as a student with no drive that comes from an affluent community. At times the same can be said for the oppsie side also. Sometimes opportunity boils down to luck and timing no matter race, class or ethnicity. I have been taught from a young age that knowledge is power. But how does a person turn that power into social equality? That is a question yet to be answered.

Intersectionality Blog 6

Intersectionality is a term with growing importance in our countries slow movbement towards social equality. Up to this point and time, there have been grave inequities built into the framework of society. A framework that runs so deep, it seems almost impossible to climb out of. In the class I am currently taking, I have learned about social and economic constucts that have created barriers between social classes. These barriers have divided groups of people to the point of almost no repair. This is a sad truth that must be dealt with by people of all race and class if social inequities are to become a pert of the past instead of the present and future. Intersectionality identifies combinations of multiple factors such as: race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual preference, and religion. To completely understand the advantages and disadvantages of all these constructs is what intersectionality intends on doing. hopefully this concept will be pertinent in all people understanding needs and problems that exist in todays society. There is a long difficult road ahead of us in reaching social equality and it may never occur. But we are all brought into this world as a blank slate. A newborn has no idea what their race, class, ethnicity or anything for that matter is. Until people from every one of these areas realize that all lives matter, our society will be stuck with the grave injustices in society that have been created.

Charles Hien Blog #5 Video Analysis (Precious Knowledge)

FNED 246: Schooling for Social Justice

Video Analysis Template

Your Name:  _Charles Hien_________________________________

Title of Video/Text:  ___Precious Knowledge_________________________

Low-inference notes (Notes & Observations)	High-inference notes (Reflection & Connection)
Purpose: To document what you actually see or hear – your observations (not your opinion or interpretation). Do this while you watch/listen.	Purpose: To connect what you see and hear to. ideas/concepts/arguments from articles and videos from class.
Minimum of 10.  *Be specific in naming specific things you see and hear in the text.. Quote the text if you can. *Bullets and notes are appropriate for this section.	Minimum of 5 *Be specific. Use specific ideas and concepts from the reading and apply them to your observations in the low-inference column.  *Write in complete sentences. (See sentence starter ideas at the bottom of the table.) *You do not need to have a high-inference note for every low-inference note.
Documentary on Ethnic studies program at TUSD. In this documentary older family members make sacrifices for younger family members. Before the Ethnic program dropout rate for Mexican Americans, around 50% in high school for Mexican Americans. Before this Ethics study program the Mexican American high school students had a dysfunctional relationship with school. Mexican culture is 7,000 years old. In order to make a change you need to take a look at structure. TUSD program is being accused of being racist. Statistics showed improved testing scores from the Mexican Americans that went through the TUSD ethnic program. The Chairman (Tom Horne) wanted to eliminate the program without even going to investigate a class in action. The Arizona Educational department was claiming that the program was brainwashing the students.	Do you see intersectionality playing out in this video? Yes I do see intersectionality playing out in the video. The chairman and department of education in Arizona are suppressing the program. This is based on unfounded beliefs that the program is brainwashing the students.  The program was described as being racist. The program was indoctrinating students as being untouchable. Teaching the students non-American values. Calling the study “Tribal”. Do you see Culturally Responsive Teaching (from slide deck): Take students everyday lived cultural experiences and link what the students do know and understand and make connections. Students are not blank slates - they bring in their experiences (prior knowledge/experience) Yes I do see culturally responsive teaching. Students going home to tell their parents what they learned in school that day. Improved stat testing scores for the students of TUSD. Students are becoming knowledgeable about their heritage. Students standing with their teachers at hearings about the program. Students wanting to study (pulling all nighters)
Low-inference notes (Notes & Observations)	High-inference notes (Reflection & Connection)
Purpose: To document what you actually see or hear – your observations (not your opinion or interpretation). Do this while you watch/listen.	Purpose: To connect what you see and hear to. ideas/concepts/arguments from articles and videos from class.
	Do you see Delpit and the rules and codes of power? Delpit: There is a culture of power. The rules of the culture of power are a reflection of those who have power.  People without power are often most aware of its existence.  People with power are often least aware of its existence.  When the teachers from TUSD are brought in front of the Chairman and the department of education, regarding the Ethnic class, Delpit would argue that this is an example of how those in power are manipulating those not in power. My first interpretation of Precious Knowledge was that the school was bypassing traditional education; however, thinking more about Precious Knowledge’s idea of their ethnic program made me realize that the students were buying into the program. The results were excellent, grades and state testing results were improved. Students were trying harder. The teachers had brought out a passion in their students. The teachers and students of TUSD are the people without power. They are more aware that Tom Horne and Arizona’s department of education were trying to exert their power on TUSD by telling them how and what to teach at their school. Tom Horne, the person in power here, is trying to exert his power on this school without even going to the school to observe the teaching strategies. He says during the film that if he did go observe that the school would put on a false impression for him. While some people might interpret TUSD as being racist and brainwashing the students, TUSD’s idea of teaching the students about their heritage and culture has actually encouraged them to want to learn and be better students.