I liked this week blog because stepped away from all the reading that we have been doing in class. I started off by checking all of the sites at the beginning, they were all very interesting and all had to do with all of the readings. They all very unique. I really like the Be the Change site because that is how we started the class realizing that we need to change certain things in order for the future to be bright. Eva's blog is strong she steps out there and expresses herself. That’s what this class is about and I can also relate to her because I have expressed my feelings and my stories with the class as well. The white privilege video kind of irritated me because the girl was not saying anything, kind of felt like she was bored and just wanted to talk to someone. All she did was basically read of her document and did not clear or express her view probably because she realized that she is part of the white privilege. I felt like if she didn’t think this was a serious matter, I read the article so maybe that's why but to me it seems like this girl is clueless about what exactly this article is about. It’s not just about white privilege and if it exist or not because we all know it does since we do live in a standard society.
What is the relationship between the historical issues you see in the website on Brown v. Board of Education and the contemporary issues of race that Tim Wise raises here?
Both of these issues have to do with race and equal opportunity in education and society. They both talk about how both of these issues have happen because previous acts that have lead to these occurrences. Tim Wise talks about how close minded people our and how they remain with the stereotypes. Both issues talk about how they have had the right support of people in order for them to occur. The connection that no matter what year was living in a post-racial America is no way in sight because we will always be living in a racist society. Both of these issues have broken barriers and moved things forward. The both instill change, that this society does not know how to handle change. Even though a racist America still exist, minorities and ethnicities that go threw oppression are still able to conquer and surpass there obstacles, expectations. This country could never be a truly equal society because no matter the situation there are going to be people against it.
"Racism is not an Excuse but a reason, an obstacle"
Tim Wise said this, at first I didn't understand it but I went over it and made some sense of it. I feel as if he meant to say that Color, Race or Ethnicity is not an excuse for people to feel as if there less or do not count in a White society. That it serves as a reason to be different and a fact about life that we must use as a power source to get the best out of ourselves. That the only obstacle we have in front of ourselves is "oneself" to learn to except yourself and not let dawned by all of these stereotypes.
I also believe that both of these issues have told us to keep our eyes on change which has been said to occur but where still living in a society full of racism. Instead of seeing minorities as people that excel, intelligent and equal. We live with these stereotypes that most white privilege think that just because we look different with different beliefs were generally less intelligent, lazy, and prone to criminality, and live off welfare in order not to work. If they only new that public assistance in the United States is a lottery, that not all unfortunate families get it. At the end of the day you have to pay a price weather its finally or realistically growing up in a bad neighborhood were crack cocaine is every bodies breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think the biggest concern is that we all still live in DENIAL that we still believe that these do not happen. The Equal Society will always be in question no matter how much change is instilled.
I have a pretty funny story that happened to me while at work this weekend at work. I work at Walgreens, as a Pharmacy Technician. I do not have a home store so I go from store to store. I worked at the store in Johnston, off Plainfield Street. Its pretty close to my house. We have our usual customers and then we have other that come in that aren’t the nicest of people. You see so many things working in a Pharmacy. One of our usual customers came in, I know this guy pretty well since I have helped him most of the times I work there. He knows me who I am, so he came to pick up his prescription and it had a high co pay because his Medicare benefits were almost all used up. When I told him the price he looked at me with a blank face and then said and I quote “What the fuck, I cannot believe this!! It's this Black president, he trying to kill us old people. He's a fucking communist N*****. He rather help all these Puerto Rican, Dominicans, and Black people instead of us old people. “I was surprised at my reaction I but my job on the line. I said to him Excuse me sir, I'm Puerto Rican you just offended me and disrespected my family. We have worked hard for what we have. We have never received any type of public assistance, and just for your information I have no insurance, and I have not seen a doctor since I was 18, which I’m now 20. He than tried to apologize. I said no need to apologize it's people like you that have made who I am now, and ill take that has support so I can prove to people like you that we minorities do not need help from anybody in or to succeed. I was shocked after! The pharmacy manager was on; he is a really cool guy. He pulled me to side and said you did the right thing stand up for yourself no matter who is critiquing you. I will defend what you did if anything comes up. I felt really good after that and it just so happens that were talking about President Obama this week.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
In The Service of What??
“Servicing Those in Need” (page, 3)
I picked this quote because it stood out to me when I was reading it because these service learning cases talk about real life things that can enhance this project and make it a learning experience for everyone. It really grabs the attention of the students. It gibe students an opportunity to learn out side of the classroom. It also serves a major purpose as future teachers because we can see the things that kids can relate to and make the relationship of students grow outside of school. The students that do know each other in school might need each other out side of school. These service learning experience shows the people that your helping that you care, that you have compassion for there needs and it shows the students that there is always a way to help out. In my case I feel like if the kids are the one teaching me because I did not have a chance to learn all these things. I feel like this is my second chance, and I’m grateful for it because without this class I dont think this would be capable.
“Giving, Caring” (Page, 5)
I picked the table 1. Service Learning Goals which helped me understand the difference that they were trying to show us between Charity and Change. When I hear the word “Charity” I think about people that have a lot of money that give to the less fortunate to promote themselves and make themselves look good. I feel as if they give because they feel some kind of pity to those less fortunate. I feel as if the only reason people give is because they see others doing it so they feel forced to or obligated to do so. The addictive experience therefore is not a good one but a negative one because as the less fortunate I see that people that do charities really don’t care about the people they’re helping. I have had a chance to be a part of certain charities and really the only people that really care about charities are those that are emotionally connected. I feel has those that instill Change are those that are most successful. The its important to care about the people that are in need instead of the caring about individual accolades. That instilling change and caring in people lives will have and end result of a person social reconstruction so that there lives can change. As for charity ere things are only good for a short time period, change can turn a person life around for the long run. That by changing a person outlook and experience will have an end result that will transform you but most importantly those that need it the most.
"In the service of what?" is a question that inevitably merits the attention of teachers, policy makers, and academicians who take seriously the idea that learning and service reinforce each other and should come together in America's schools." (Page, 13)
I was lucky enough to have and internship program at my high school. I had to complete 30 hours in order to graduate, it was a very good experience because I knew I wanted to be a teacher so I interned at my own school as a Physical education teacher. It was a great experience because not only did I have fun with fellow classmates but I got to teach and it felt really good to realize that it was what I wanted to do as my career. I was experience that really helped me get over certain fears and see the type of things that teacher go through. I had to teach my own lesson plan and it was rally fun teaching my fellow classmate’s things they did not know but I did. I believe strongly in service learning and event though its time consuming and it may makes thing challenging I have enjoyed the experience and I have talked to my teacher to see if I can continue for the whole school year.
I picked this quote because it stood out to me when I was reading it because these service learning cases talk about real life things that can enhance this project and make it a learning experience for everyone. It really grabs the attention of the students. It gibe students an opportunity to learn out side of the classroom. It also serves a major purpose as future teachers because we can see the things that kids can relate to and make the relationship of students grow outside of school. The students that do know each other in school might need each other out side of school. These service learning experience shows the people that your helping that you care, that you have compassion for there needs and it shows the students that there is always a way to help out. In my case I feel like if the kids are the one teaching me because I did not have a chance to learn all these things. I feel like this is my second chance, and I’m grateful for it because without this class I dont think this would be capable.
“Giving, Caring” (Page, 5)
I picked the table 1. Service Learning Goals which helped me understand the difference that they were trying to show us between Charity and Change. When I hear the word “Charity” I think about people that have a lot of money that give to the less fortunate to promote themselves and make themselves look good. I feel as if they give because they feel some kind of pity to those less fortunate. I feel as if the only reason people give is because they see others doing it so they feel forced to or obligated to do so. The addictive experience therefore is not a good one but a negative one because as the less fortunate I see that people that do charities really don’t care about the people they’re helping. I have had a chance to be a part of certain charities and really the only people that really care about charities are those that are emotionally connected. I feel has those that instill Change are those that are most successful. The its important to care about the people that are in need instead of the caring about individual accolades. That instilling change and caring in people lives will have and end result of a person social reconstruction so that there lives can change. As for charity ere things are only good for a short time period, change can turn a person life around for the long run. That by changing a person outlook and experience will have an end result that will transform you but most importantly those that need it the most.
"In the service of what?" is a question that inevitably merits the attention of teachers, policy makers, and academicians who take seriously the idea that learning and service reinforce each other and should come together in America's schools." (Page, 13)
I was lucky enough to have and internship program at my high school. I had to complete 30 hours in order to graduate, it was a very good experience because I knew I wanted to be a teacher so I interned at my own school as a Physical education teacher. It was a great experience because not only did I have fun with fellow classmates but I got to teach and it felt really good to realize that it was what I wanted to do as my career. I was experience that really helped me get over certain fears and see the type of things that teacher go through. I had to teach my own lesson plan and it was rally fun teaching my fellow classmate’s things they did not know but I did. I believe strongly in service learning and event though its time consuming and it may makes thing challenging I have enjoyed the experience and I have talked to my teacher to see if I can continue for the whole school year.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us
“Kenneth noticed that people of color and poor people are either absent or servants to the rich, white, pretty people.” (Page, 130)
This quote stood out to me because growing up I saw a lot of cartoons that really had major influences on me. It always been true that there wasn’t that much diversity. Cartoons have never showed different ethnicity groups being the main characters. If anything growing up all I saw was Looney Tunes were always one of my favorites, especially “Speedy Gonzalez” it’s a Mexican rat running non-stop, if you really think about it that carton portrays Mexican culture all in the wrong way, it was banned because of the simple fact that it may offend Mexican Americans. Mexicans have a prosperous cultural heritage which is consistently tarnished and misused by these insensitive cartoons.
“Overwhelming and discouraging to find that our self-images have been formed by others, but if we don’t dissect them, we will continue to be influenced by the” (Page, 133)
This quote stood out to me because I understand were Justine wrote about how what we watch on TV makes us who we are as we grow up. All of us growing up watched some kind of cartoon or show that we were addicted to, for me it was Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles. I loved those shows and they had a major influence on me not in a good way what so ever because I was always trying to do the type of things that they did, for example my favorite was Leonardo, the one with the two swords, I could not get my hands on two swords so I grabbed the next closet thing, knives. I used to hide them from my mom and run out side and throw them at the house vinyl which was made out of wood so the knives would go straight into the wood if I threw them right. That all stopped when I almost seriously injured my stepfather because I was trying to practice my accuracy on the door, so when I threw the knife he was opening the door and the knife was implanted into the door. I would have seriously injured my stepdad. I got the biggest spanking that night. I also wanted to be Superman, he was my favorite super hero, my moms used always help me tie a towel around my neck and prete4nd I had a cape. I would jump from couch to couch, from my mother’s bureau to her bed. I just loved to see the cape flap, I was not the brightest kid because my mother told me that I tried to jump out of the window, mind you we lived on the third floor, I still don’t believe that but why would she lie. I agree with Justine because though shows makes kids want to do what they see and believe in things that are not true.
“I don’t want students to believe that change can be brought at mall, nor do I want them thinking that the pinnacle of a women’s life is an “I do” that supposedly leads them to a “happily ever after” (Page, 133)
I saved this quote for last because it’s a strong message not just for the kids that believe in all these cartoons but also because many people go out of their way to be accepted by others. That just because you can go to the mall and buy different types of clothing to make you fit in does not mean that you’re a different person. Everybody is different and learning how to accept yourself before accepting others is the biggest task that may cross your path. If your life always worrying about who accepts you and changing who you are in a society full of change will get you NO were. I think it’s really important that she pointed out the pinnacle of women because it’s not just something directed to women. It also directed to all men because it takes two to marry and what I take from this quote is that we cannot believe in the fairy tale endings and everything coming to easy because the real world is full of obstacles that if you’re not prepared for will knock you down and be extremely hard to bounce back. That that happy ever after ending comes with hard work and that it’s not something you can buy but something that you can work for to obtain the greatest amount of success.
This quote stood out to me because growing up I saw a lot of cartoons that really had major influences on me. It always been true that there wasn’t that much diversity. Cartoons have never showed different ethnicity groups being the main characters. If anything growing up all I saw was Looney Tunes were always one of my favorites, especially “Speedy Gonzalez” it’s a Mexican rat running non-stop, if you really think about it that carton portrays Mexican culture all in the wrong way, it was banned because of the simple fact that it may offend Mexican Americans. Mexicans have a prosperous cultural heritage which is consistently tarnished and misused by these insensitive cartoons.
“Overwhelming and discouraging to find that our self-images have been formed by others, but if we don’t dissect them, we will continue to be influenced by the” (Page, 133)
This quote stood out to me because I understand were Justine wrote about how what we watch on TV makes us who we are as we grow up. All of us growing up watched some kind of cartoon or show that we were addicted to, for me it was Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles. I loved those shows and they had a major influence on me not in a good way what so ever because I was always trying to do the type of things that they did, for example my favorite was Leonardo, the one with the two swords, I could not get my hands on two swords so I grabbed the next closet thing, knives. I used to hide them from my mom and run out side and throw them at the house vinyl which was made out of wood so the knives would go straight into the wood if I threw them right. That all stopped when I almost seriously injured my stepfather because I was trying to practice my accuracy on the door, so when I threw the knife he was opening the door and the knife was implanted into the door. I would have seriously injured my stepdad. I got the biggest spanking that night. I also wanted to be Superman, he was my favorite super hero, my moms used always help me tie a towel around my neck and prete4nd I had a cape. I would jump from couch to couch, from my mother’s bureau to her bed. I just loved to see the cape flap, I was not the brightest kid because my mother told me that I tried to jump out of the window, mind you we lived on the third floor, I still don’t believe that but why would she lie. I agree with Justine because though shows makes kids want to do what they see and believe in things that are not true.
“I don’t want students to believe that change can be brought at mall, nor do I want them thinking that the pinnacle of a women’s life is an “I do” that supposedly leads them to a “happily ever after” (Page, 133)
I saved this quote for last because it’s a strong message not just for the kids that believe in all these cartoons but also because many people go out of their way to be accepted by others. That just because you can go to the mall and buy different types of clothing to make you fit in does not mean that you’re a different person. Everybody is different and learning how to accept yourself before accepting others is the biggest task that may cross your path. If your life always worrying about who accepts you and changing who you are in a society full of change will get you NO were. I think it’s really important that she pointed out the pinnacle of women because it’s not just something directed to women. It also directed to all men because it takes two to marry and what I take from this quote is that we cannot believe in the fairy tale endings and everything coming to easy because the real world is full of obstacles that if you’re not prepared for will knock you down and be extremely hard to bounce back. That that happy ever after ending comes with hard work and that it’s not something you can buy but something that you can work for to obtain the greatest amount of success.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Dennis Carlson
Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community
“Selective Tradition” (page, 236)
This quote stood out to me because in all the schools I attended most of them did not talk about gay or lesbians. It was never a discuss topic, growing up you see these types of things on TV but no one really take the time to explain what it really is. I believe that in schools all they try to do is tell the kids that life is full of obstacles, but can not tell them what obstacles they are because there afraid of the effect it might have on kids. That is why the school curriculum is so selective, for example teaching U.S. History and not the world’s history. So when we go o different part of the world we do not know what is going on. I believe the same thing happens when the teacher has to choose weather to introduce the talk about gay and lesbian people. It is very important to see and understand that as future educators we must not glamour life for our kids, but let them know that reality is a way of life and that when you step out to this world its better to know a little bit of everything so that you don’t get chewed up. It’s really hard to say that more teachers will be talking about this topic in the classroom in the next couple of years because we still haven’t even crossed the border letting us talk about Religion. It’s really a hard topic to bring into a classroom especially at such an early age; I would not want my children to be talking about this in school. All things have a time and a place; therefore I believe that it should be up but in its proper setting.
“The dismissal of gay teachers was legitimated as a way of keeping young people from being exposed to improper role model, lechery and child molestations.” (Page, 237)
I picked this quote because it really irritated me since it does not make any type of sense. The person you are outside of your job has nothing to do when you’re at work. We all have a different person when we are doing things that require full responsibility and that involve other peoples lives. I do not understand how they could put people down and fire someone just because they have different taste. They should be looked as role models because they have accomplished and reached successful points in order to be were there at. It is ridiculous to believe that gay and lesbians only think about sex, and that all they want in life is sexual desire. If anything we should be more worried about some men professors molesting kids then worrying about gays and lesbians. This might offend some people but look at it with and open mind. How come we keep priest and fathers at such a value in this life when they have molested more little boys then any gay man or lesbian has? When was the last time you read or heard about a gay man molesting a boy, or a lesbian teacher molesting a girl? I have not heard it or read about it so therefore I stand strong in saying that gay men have my respect like any other man does and a lesbian women is not just a women who can not find a man but a women with self respect that also has the same feelings has me and you.
“Homosexual teachers represent a danger to their students, homosexuality is contagious” (page, 237)
This was another statement that really got under my skin. It really irritated because it’s a real closed minded thought, and for some one to actually believe that makes me wonder were the world has gone too. I happen to know a lot of gay guys, I’m not gay so I’m comfortable being around them because I know that they can’t and won’t change the way I think. They also respect me for who I am so they never bring up a topic that makes me uncomfortable. My best friend is gay and I always knew he was, so when he came out it did not take me by shock I was open about it. I gave him my shoulder to cry on and he was really glad that we remained friend he was scared that he might lose me as a friend, when he told me that I really got to see the amount of hatred that gay and lesbians go through because my best friend had been threw a lot and he had gone out with so many hot girls just for a cover up. I realized the amount of pain and I said to myself I would never discriminate against anybody. He is and will always be a person I admire and respect. He GAY, I’m STRAIGHT we hangout whenever we get a chance! The only contagious thing about gay and lesbian people is the amount of happiness and joy they bring when you’re around them.
“Selective Tradition” (page, 236)
This quote stood out to me because in all the schools I attended most of them did not talk about gay or lesbians. It was never a discuss topic, growing up you see these types of things on TV but no one really take the time to explain what it really is. I believe that in schools all they try to do is tell the kids that life is full of obstacles, but can not tell them what obstacles they are because there afraid of the effect it might have on kids. That is why the school curriculum is so selective, for example teaching U.S. History and not the world’s history. So when we go o different part of the world we do not know what is going on. I believe the same thing happens when the teacher has to choose weather to introduce the talk about gay and lesbian people. It is very important to see and understand that as future educators we must not glamour life for our kids, but let them know that reality is a way of life and that when you step out to this world its better to know a little bit of everything so that you don’t get chewed up. It’s really hard to say that more teachers will be talking about this topic in the classroom in the next couple of years because we still haven’t even crossed the border letting us talk about Religion. It’s really a hard topic to bring into a classroom especially at such an early age; I would not want my children to be talking about this in school. All things have a time and a place; therefore I believe that it should be up but in its proper setting.
“The dismissal of gay teachers was legitimated as a way of keeping young people from being exposed to improper role model, lechery and child molestations.” (Page, 237)
I picked this quote because it really irritated me since it does not make any type of sense. The person you are outside of your job has nothing to do when you’re at work. We all have a different person when we are doing things that require full responsibility and that involve other peoples lives. I do not understand how they could put people down and fire someone just because they have different taste. They should be looked as role models because they have accomplished and reached successful points in order to be were there at. It is ridiculous to believe that gay and lesbians only think about sex, and that all they want in life is sexual desire. If anything we should be more worried about some men professors molesting kids then worrying about gays and lesbians. This might offend some people but look at it with and open mind. How come we keep priest and fathers at such a value in this life when they have molested more little boys then any gay man or lesbian has? When was the last time you read or heard about a gay man molesting a boy, or a lesbian teacher molesting a girl? I have not heard it or read about it so therefore I stand strong in saying that gay men have my respect like any other man does and a lesbian women is not just a women who can not find a man but a women with self respect that also has the same feelings has me and you.
“Homosexual teachers represent a danger to their students, homosexuality is contagious” (page, 237)
This was another statement that really got under my skin. It really irritated because it’s a real closed minded thought, and for some one to actually believe that makes me wonder were the world has gone too. I happen to know a lot of gay guys, I’m not gay so I’m comfortable being around them because I know that they can’t and won’t change the way I think. They also respect me for who I am so they never bring up a topic that makes me uncomfortable. My best friend is gay and I always knew he was, so when he came out it did not take me by shock I was open about it. I gave him my shoulder to cry on and he was really glad that we remained friend he was scared that he might lose me as a friend, when he told me that I really got to see the amount of hatred that gay and lesbians go through because my best friend had been threw a lot and he had gone out with so many hot girls just for a cover up. I realized the amount of pain and I said to myself I would never discriminate against anybody. He is and will always be a person I admire and respect. He GAY, I’m STRAIGHT we hangout whenever we get a chance! The only contagious thing about gay and lesbian people is the amount of happiness and joy they bring when you’re around them.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Virginia Collier
“Don’t teach a second language in a way that challenges or seeks to eliminate the first language” (page, 227)
This quote stood out to me because in elementary I experienced something that went against this quote. I come from an immigrant family; both my mother and father are from Guatemala. My mother raised my three sisters and me, as for my dad he basically was a dead beat to me. He was not their when I was born nor was he there for me as a role model growing up. He‘s the reason why I am the type of man I am, I strive to be better and opposite from him. Anyways my mother put me in first grade at Carl G. Lauro in Providence; I was put in an English only classroom. I should not have been put in that class since my first language then was Spanish. My mother knows little to none of English so that did not help because she could not express to anyone what I needed. So basically they completely removed the Spanish language from me and started to teach me English like if that was my first language. It was discouraging because I never got to master my first language before starting a whole brand new one.
“Do not forbid young students from code-switching in the classroom. Understand the functions that code-switching serves. “(Page, 229)
I understood this quote because I have experienced this were I did not understand what the word was in English but when my sisters would help me with my homework they would break it down so I can put the Spanish word with the English word. I was able to understand it better when they explained it to me in Spanish but when I went to school I would not get it or be able to read out loud because everybody spoke English I could not rely on anyone to help me. This also was a reason why I stayed back in first grade because I was not showed the proper tools for me to translate from Spanish to English. It was a tough road for me because I even got placed in resource because I could not read, that was more time out the classroom when I should have been in the class learning everything else the Bilingual kids were doing. I was placed in the wrong class and my mom tried to let the teacher know and the principal know but they did not change me because my sisters spoke and read English. The school did not understand that my sisters were born in California so they had the right schooling, so that transition for them was easy because by the time we had moved to Rhode Island they already had the sufficient tools to make it by. My little sister and I were the ones that were forced to give up our only language and learn a complete new one without understand the basic of our home grown language.
Code-switching happens all the time, from the way you talk to your mother, to the way you talk at work, to the way you talk to your friends, boyfriend, or girlfriend. The ways you speak to those are always going to be different have a different structure and context.
“Provide a balanced and integrated to four language skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing.” (Page, 234)
This quote stood out to me because if I had these tools in elementary school and coming up as a student I would have been more successful growing up. Being able to understand the language would have come a lot easier for me. Instead all I was listening to in the classroom was the teacher talk in English all the time; I could not connect to Spanish because nobody in the classroom was Spanish. I spoke enough English to get me by I guess but I could not keep a conversation because my vocabulary was limited. Reading was very hard for me because I was not taught the proper way to understand and make that connection from Spanish to English. The sounds of letters, or even naming the syllables therefore making it impossible to read because without those tools you can not read and comprehend. My writing skills till this day are not the best I have taken courses to help me improve and understand the structural bases but I still have a hard time with it. I have managed to make it this far because I take education with the upmost responsibility because I know that without it you’re nothing.
The dialogue journals that are used in ESL and Bilingual classrooms would have really helped me I believe because it would have improved my writing and communication skills. My academic growth would have been right on with the other students because I would have had that one on one interaction with the teacher, therefore giving me encouragement to learn.
sorry for the late post!!! i have just been so busy with work and running around like a chickem with its head cut off.
This quote stood out to me because in elementary I experienced something that went against this quote. I come from an immigrant family; both my mother and father are from Guatemala. My mother raised my three sisters and me, as for my dad he basically was a dead beat to me. He was not their when I was born nor was he there for me as a role model growing up. He‘s the reason why I am the type of man I am, I strive to be better and opposite from him. Anyways my mother put me in first grade at Carl G. Lauro in Providence; I was put in an English only classroom. I should not have been put in that class since my first language then was Spanish. My mother knows little to none of English so that did not help because she could not express to anyone what I needed. So basically they completely removed the Spanish language from me and started to teach me English like if that was my first language. It was discouraging because I never got to master my first language before starting a whole brand new one.
“Do not forbid young students from code-switching in the classroom. Understand the functions that code-switching serves. “(Page, 229)
I understood this quote because I have experienced this were I did not understand what the word was in English but when my sisters would help me with my homework they would break it down so I can put the Spanish word with the English word. I was able to understand it better when they explained it to me in Spanish but when I went to school I would not get it or be able to read out loud because everybody spoke English I could not rely on anyone to help me. This also was a reason why I stayed back in first grade because I was not showed the proper tools for me to translate from Spanish to English. It was a tough road for me because I even got placed in resource because I could not read, that was more time out the classroom when I should have been in the class learning everything else the Bilingual kids were doing. I was placed in the wrong class and my mom tried to let the teacher know and the principal know but they did not change me because my sisters spoke and read English. The school did not understand that my sisters were born in California so they had the right schooling, so that transition for them was easy because by the time we had moved to Rhode Island they already had the sufficient tools to make it by. My little sister and I were the ones that were forced to give up our only language and learn a complete new one without understand the basic of our home grown language.
Code-switching happens all the time, from the way you talk to your mother, to the way you talk at work, to the way you talk to your friends, boyfriend, or girlfriend. The ways you speak to those are always going to be different have a different structure and context.
“Provide a balanced and integrated to four language skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing.” (Page, 234)
This quote stood out to me because if I had these tools in elementary school and coming up as a student I would have been more successful growing up. Being able to understand the language would have come a lot easier for me. Instead all I was listening to in the classroom was the teacher talk in English all the time; I could not connect to Spanish because nobody in the classroom was Spanish. I spoke enough English to get me by I guess but I could not keep a conversation because my vocabulary was limited. Reading was very hard for me because I was not taught the proper way to understand and make that connection from Spanish to English. The sounds of letters, or even naming the syllables therefore making it impossible to read because without those tools you can not read and comprehend. My writing skills till this day are not the best I have taken courses to help me improve and understand the structural bases but I still have a hard time with it. I have managed to make it this far because I take education with the upmost responsibility because I know that without it you’re nothing.
The dialogue journals that are used in ESL and Bilingual classrooms would have really helped me I believe because it would have improved my writing and communication skills. My academic growth would have been right on with the other students because I would have had that one on one interaction with the teacher, therefore giving me encouragement to learn.
sorry for the late post!!! i have just been so busy with work and running around like a chickem with its head cut off.
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