Paper 3 Final: My Addition to the K-12 School Curriculum

Amanda Rogers
Dr. Begert
English 101
12/6/13

    Paper 3: My Addition to the K-12 School Curriculum  

        From the early adolescent years, children are taught that they must fulfill the requirement of gaining an education in order to succeed in life. Innocently, from kindergarten through 12^th grade children coast through the repetitive and uninteresting routine that comes along with attending public school; assuming the foundation of knowledge being laid for them will provide them with the skills and intelligence needed to become a productive member of society. While contents taught in school today can be meaningful and important, they way in which it is taught can be damaging. Our K-12 school system has come to discourage the individual creativity of students minds, and instead, promote the idea that teachers are always correct.   Educators fill their pupils with carefully chosen knowledge and subjective opinions, rarely, if ever, allowing the student to form a logical and valid viewpoint of their own. Depriving our youth of the ability to express and argue their own opinions is a harmful misdeed.  In order for a person to truly become powerful, they must first learn how to think independently. Critical thinking is a concept that will grant students the capability to view questions, issues, and ideas from many angels, by working cooperatively with their teachers and peers. Considering the diversity and openness of this approach, adding the element of critical thinking in the classroom will help our youth become better, and more informed observers of life.

        It is no secret that classrooms today have become a place of dullness, and boredom. John Taylor Gatto, a school teacher of thirty years and author of Against School: How Public Education Cripples Our Kids and Why says, “Boredom was everywhere in my world, and if you asked the kids, as I often did, why they felt so bored, they always gave the same answers: They said the work was stupid, that it made no sense, that they already knew it.” There is an incredible lack of ambition among students who are being taught material that is of absolutely no significance to them. Gatto continues, “They said they wanted to be doing something real, not just sitting around.” Critical thinking aims to ease children away from the insignificant material of the current curriculum, and focus more on realistic and meaningful conversation. Some might argue that this method would take away from the importance of core subjects (such as math, history, etc.). However, students would learn the valuable skill of forming valid, purposeful opinions by engaging themselves in group discussions. They would no longer be forced to agree with only one opinion, but instead, actively ask questions and work with others to discover their own beliefs and views.

        By nature, Children have an admirable passion for curiosity. In fact, a recent survey by online retailer Littlewoods.com found that young children ask their parents an average of 300 questions per day.  Unfortunately, this passion is often short lived.  With the monotonous lesson plans and one-sided opinions that our educational system provides, children are being taught to conform to a certain standard. They are robbed of their natural desire to be inquisitive and instead, forced to obey a curriculum geared only to deposit information for the sake of memorization. In her book Teaching Critical Thinking, bell hooks states “Sadly, children’s passion for thinking often ends when they encounter a world that seeks to educate them for conformity and obedience only.”(8) The tragic reality is student’s today fear to think for themselves. Adding the concept of critical thinking in classrooms will not only encourage, but drastically restore a child’s eagerness to think. With enough practice of critical thinking, they will re-learn how to question the world around them. This will aid in the ability for our youth to logically devise strategies, and solve problems, whether they are school, work, or life related.

       Paolo Freire states in his article The Banking Concept of Education, “The educated man is the adapted man, because he is better ‘fit’ for the world.”  The K-12 Schooling system is structured in such a way that the students must adapt to the knowledge being fed to them. Educators and school administrators are entirely in control of what is to be taught, and how it is rendered to the students. This method of teaching is not in the best interest of the children. It does not allow for them to think creatively and originally. Freire adds, “Everything in this ready-to-wear approach serves to obviate thinking.”  Inclusion of critical thinking in classrooms would provide students the opportunity to open their minds, and expand on different topics in ways that are meaningful to them as an individual. Critical thinking allows students to freely express their beliefs and thoughts, without being told they have given a “wrong answer”. One particular scene in the “mockumentary”, Chalk, strongly conveyed this issue. Mr. Stroope, an overly-confident, go-with-the-flow teacher, confronts an intelligent student who corrected him during class. Mr. Stroope becomes upset and in so many words, tells the student to stop being so smart. Some might agree that there is a sense of disrespect when a student corrects, or confronts a teacher. However, if we discourage our youth from expressing their thoughts and intelligence, they will never be able to thrive. Praising a student for accomplishing the simple task of thinking would embed confidence among them for life. The once feared task of having your own voice would diminish, thus introducing them to a wide range of opportunity in the future.

        One of the key components involved with critical thinking is allowing students to work in a community-like environment in the classroom. In his article A Real Education, Barry Boyce says “Kindness, caring, empathy, being able to de-center from your own point of view and listen deeply to others- these are values that should be cultivated in our classrooms.” For a child to indeed become a thoughtful and tactful individual, it is greatly important they understand how to consider and explore many different points-of-views with an open mind. Authors of From Critical Thinking to Argument Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau say, “Critical thinking requires us to use our imagination, seeing things from prospectives other than our own and envisioning the likely consequences of our position.” (hooks).    Allowing students to work interactively with their peers would enable them to listen to, and digest the opinions and reasoning’s of others. In addition to student participation, educators would become a part of the classroom community as well. This would mean voiding the implied rule that the teacher must always be right. bell hooks, author of Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom suggests that teachers must be open at all times. “[For teachers], a radical commitment to openness maintains the integrity of the critical thinking process and its central role in education.”(10) She says. Authority figures today would aruge that educators should teach only the material given in the current curriculum. They wish to withhold young minds from too much knowledge, fearing they might in fact become powerful beyond what society is ready to bare. The truth is, it is simply not right to deprive students of their right to be smart. By creating this classroom-wide interaction, teachers and students would be able to embrace the learning process by freely contributing their own unique and important thoughts, while openly considering the thoughts of others. 

        Being able to think independently is a crucial skill needed to become a successful person. The ability to have your own voice in the world should not be something to fear, but to embrace. Learning to work with others, and open your mind to the diversity of others opinions is a critical part of life, and therefore, should be taught on a regular basis. By practicing the art of thinking critically, children would discover the true value of their own identity.  Incorporating this approach in our everyday K-12 school curriculum will aid children to become adequate, logical, and sensible people.  As W.E.B. Du Bois wisely stated, “The effect of all true education is not only a gaining of some practical means of helping present life, but the making of present life mean more than it meant before.”(Gilyard)

Works Cited

hooks, bell. “Critical Thinking”. Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom. 8. New York: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. 2009. Print

Freire, Paolo. "The Banking Concept of Education." Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Chapter 2. 1970. Print

Gilyard, Keith. "Children, Arts, and Du Bois."  National Council of Teachers and English. September 2012. Print. 

Chalk. Dir. Mike Akel. Perf. Chris Mass. SomeDaySoon Production, 2006. DVD

Gatto, John. “Against School: How public education cripples our kids, and why” Harper’s                     Magazine. September, 2003. Web.

Telegraph.co.uk. “Mothers asked nearly 300 questions a day, study finds”. The Telegraph. March 28, 2013. Web.

Paper # 3: Rough Draft

Amanda Rogers
Dr. Begert- Instructor
English 101
12/4/2013

From the early adolescent years, children are taught that they must fulfill the requirement of gaining an education in order to succeed in life. Innocently, from kindergarten through 12^th grade children coast through the repetitive and uninteresting routine that comes along with attending public school. Children can only assume that the foundation of knowledge being laid for them in the K-12 years will provide them with the skills and intelligence needed to become a productive member of society. While contents taught in school today can be meaningful and important, they way in which it is taught can be damaging. Our K-12 school system has come to discourage the individual creativity of students minds, and instead, promote the idea teachers are always correct.   Educators fill their pupils with carefully chosen knowledge and subjective opinions, rarely, if ever, allowing the student to form a logical and valid viewpoint of their own. Depriving our youth of the ability to express and argue their own opinions is a harmful misdeed.  In order for a person to truly become powerful, they must first learn how to think independently. Critical thinking is a concept that will grant students the capability to view questions, issues, and ideas from many angels, by working cooperatively with their teachers and peers. Because of the diversity and openness of this approach, adding the element of critical thinking in the classroom will help our youth become better, and more informed observers of life.

It is no secret that classrooms today have become a place of dullness, and boredom. John Taylor Gatto, a school teacher of thirty years and author of Against School: How Public Education Cripples Our Kids and Why says, “Boredom was everywhere in my world, and if you asked the kids, as I often did, why they felt so bored, they always gave the same answers: They said the work was stupid, that it made no sense, that they already knew it.” There is an incredible lack of ambition among students who are being taught material that is of absolutely no significance to them. Gatto continues, “They said they wanted to be doing something real, not just sitting around.” Critical thinking aims to ease children away from the insignificant material of the current curriculum, and focus more on realistic and meaningful conversation. Students would learn to form valid, purposeful opinions by engaging themselves In group discussions. They would no longer be forced to agree with only one opinion, but instead, actively ask questions and work with others to discover their own beliefs and views.

By nature, Children have an admirable passion for curiosity. In fact, a recent survey by online retailer Littlewoods.com found that young children ask their parents an average of 300 questions per day.  Unfortunately, this passion is often short lived.  With the monotonous lesson plans and one-sided opinions that our educational system provides, children are being taught to conform to a certain standard. They are robbed of their natural desire to be inquisitive and instead, forced to obey a curriculum geared only to deposit information for the sake of memorization. In her book Teaching Critical Thinking, Bell Hook states “Sadly, children’s passion for thinking often ends when they encounter a world that seeks to educate them for conformity and obedience only.” The tragic reality is student’s today fear to think for themselves. Adding the concept of critical thinking in classrooms will not only encourage, but drastically restore a child’s eagerness to think. With enough practice of critical thinking, they will re-learn how to question the world around them. This will aid in the ability for our youth to logically devise strategies, and solve problems, whether they are school, work, or life related.

Paolo Freire states in his article The Banking Concept of Education, “The educated man is the adapted man, because he is better ‘fit’ for the world.”  The K-12 Schooling system is structured in such a way that the students must adapt to the knowledge being fed to them. The educators and school administrators are entirely in control of what is to be taught, and how it is rendered to the students. This method of teaching is not in the best interest of the children. It does not allow for them to think creatively and originally. Freire adds, “Everything in this ready-to-wear approach serves to obviate thinking.”  Inclusion of critical thinking in classrooms would provide students the opportunity to open their minds, and expand on different topics in ways that are meaningful to them as an individual. Critical thinking provides students the opportunity to freely express their beliefs and thoughts, without being told they have given a “wrong answer”. In the movie Chalk, we saw Mr. Lowrey, a brand new, unconfident teacher, confront an intelligent student who corrected him during class. Mr. Lowrey becomes upset and in so many words, tells the student to stop being so smart. If we discourage our youth from expressing their thoughts and intelligence, they will never be able to thrive. Praising a student for accomplishing the simple task of thinking would embed confidence among them for life. The once feared task of having your own voice would diminish, thus introducing them to a wide range of opportunity in the future.

One of the key components involved with critical thinking is allowing students to work in a community-like environment in the classroom. In his Article A Real Education, Barry Boyce says “Kindness, caring, empathy, being able to de-center from your own point of view and listen deeply to others- these are values that should be cultivated in out classrooms.” For a child to indeed become a thoughtful and tactful individual, it is greatly important they understand how to consider and explore many different points-of-views with an open mind. Authors of From Critical Thinking to Argument Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau say, “Critical thinking requires us to use our imagination, seeing things from prospectives other than our own and envisioning the likely consequences of our position.” (hooks).  Allowing students to work interactively with their peers would enable them to listen to, and digest the opinions and reasoning’s of others. In addition to student participation, educators would become a part of the classroom community as well. This would mean voiding the implied rule that the teacher must always be right. Bell Hooks, author of Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom suggests that teachers must be open at all times. “[For teachers], a radical commitment to openness maintains the integrity of the critical thinking process and its central role in education.” She says. By creating this classroom-wide interaction, teachers and students would be able to embrace the learning process by contributing their own unique and important thoughts, while openly considering the thoughts of others.  

Being able to think independently is a crucial skill needed to become a successful person. The ability to have your own voice in the world should not be something to fear, but to embrace. By incorporating critical thinking in our K-12 schools, children will become adequate, logical, and sensible people.  Learning to work with others, and open your mind to the diversity of others opinions is a critical part of life. Children would discover the value of their own individuality by practicing the art of thinking critically. As W.E.B. Du Bois wisely stated, “The effect of all true education is not only a gaining of some practical means of helping present life, but the making of present life mean more than it meant before.”(Gilyard)

Works Cited

hooks, bell. Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom. “Critical Thinking”  . Print.

Freire, Paolo. "The Banking Concept of Education." Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Chapter 2. 1970. Print

Gilyard, Keith. "Children, Arts, and Du Bois."  National Council of Teachers and English. September 2012. Print.

Chalk. Dir. Mike Akel. Perf. Chris Mass. SomeDaySoon Production, 2006. DVD

Gatto, John. “Against School: How public education cripples our kids, and why” Harper’s

Telegraph.co.uk. “Mothers asked nearly 300 questions a day, study finds”. 28 Mar 2013. Web

Quotations and "Works Cited" Workshop

In her book Teaching Critical Thinking, Bell Hook states “Sadly, children’s passion for thinking often ends when they encounter a world that seeks to educate them for conformity and obedience only.” (8)

Paolo Freire states in his article The Banking Concept of Education, “The educated man is the adapted man, because he is better ‘fit’ for the world.”  

Quoting W.E.B. Du Bois, Keith Gilyard writes, “The effect of all true education is not only a gaining of some practical means of helping present life, but the making of present life mean more than it meant before.” 

In the movie Chalk, Mr. Stroope, a brand new and unconfident teacher, bluntly tells two students to stop being as smart as him. 

John Gatto states in his article Against School, We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight - simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids to truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then.”

Works Cited

hooks, bell. Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom. “Critical Thinking”  8. Print.

Freire, Paolo. "The Banking Concept of Education." Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Chapter 2. 1970. Print

Gilyard, Keith. "Children, Arts, and Du Bois."  National Council of Teachers and English. September 2012. Print. 

Chalk. Dir. Mike Akel. Perf. Chris Mass. SomeDaySoon Production, 2006. DVD

Gatto, John. “Against School: How public education cripples our kids, and why” Harper’s Magazine. September, 2003. Web. 

The authors that would most agree with me

Barry Boyce and Bell Hooks are the two authors that re-enforced my opinion on what should change in the k-12 school system. Bell Hooks talks about the importance of critical thinking within the classroom. Like Hooks, I believe this is a critical component that should be added to the current curriculum. Hooks talks about how children are natural born thinkers, but because educators today teach only for conformity and obedience, children are often robbed of their natural curiosity throughout their schooling. By encouraging students to engage in the process of critical thinking they would not only re-store their will to think, but learn to open their minds to many different viewpoints, not just their own or their teachers. They would be able to look at issues and questions from different angles and think in depth about their opinions. A highpoint to this idea is that it involves the participation of everybody in the class. This allows for students to have a sense of community within the classroom, unlike now where 99% of the time it is just the same sequence of sit, and listen. Hooks proposes the teaching method of “Engaged Pedagogy”. This strategy would allow a strong teacher/student relationship. The teacher would no longer have the sole leadership role, but instead work cooperatively with the students, ensuring everyone is contributing to the learning process. Children and teenagers are perfectly capable of thinking critically. We just need to give them the chance.

Barry Boyce proposes the concept of “mindfulness” should be taught in the classroom. Mindfulness helps students, teachers, and parents gain the ethical characteristics needed to live in the world today. It can increase the awareness of emotions, and aid in the ability to regulate them. Mindfulness focuses on one’s ability to be kind, caring, and empathetic towards others. It helps a person de-center from their own view so they can listen deeply to others. He talks about “non-attachment” which is the ability to understand the depth of what is happening around you, but not get caught-up or overwhelmed by it. This can be accomplished through activities like meditation and yoga. The reason I think this is important is because children and teenagers could greatly benefit from knowing how to keep themselves calm and collected. More importantly, they would learn ways in which to be less selfish, and more empathetic and open-minded towards others. Mindfulness is in the field of prevention which as Mark Greenberg says “aims to avert school failure, depression, and extreme aggression, but to promote positive qualities like empathy, citizenship, and strong friendships.” If we can fully engage students in the process of mindfulness, school would become a more relaxing, enjoyable environment.

Six quotations that support my ideas for change

1) “Sadly, children’s passion for thinking often ends when they encounter a world that seeks to educate them for conformity and obedience only.” – bell hooks


2) “Critical thinkers are clear as to the purpose at hand and the question at issue” ***”They seek to think beneath the surface, to be logical and fair” – Richard Paul and Linda Elder (bell hooks-critical thinking)


3) “Critical thinking is an interactive process, one that demands participation on the part of teachers and students alike.”*** “Critical thinking requires all participants in the classroom process to be engaged.” –bell hooks


4) “A step higher on mount Parnassus is not only to be calculated in inches of ground covered but even more by the immeasurably broader and more beautiful horizon stretching beyond.”-WEB Du Bois (Keith Gilyard)


5) “The effect of all true education is not only a gaining of some practical means of helping present life, but the making of present life mean more than it meant before.” Du Bois (Keith Gilyard)


6) “The field of prevention,” Greenberg says, “not only aims to avert school failure, depression, and extreme aggression, but to promote positive qualities like empathy, citizenship, and strong friendships” –Mark Greenberg (Barry Boyce- A real education)

Group Blog post- Thesis statement practice (hula hoops)

Thesis:
Hula hoops can enhance the psychedelic experiences at a grateful dead concert to provide more entertainment to the show attendees. 

Topic sentences:
Hula hooping would be fun to do while high/intoxicated
They are brightly colored, and can exaggerate the effects and overall experience associated with experiencing a grateful dead show.
-Hula hoops can be incorporated into the already popular dancing with the fans, increasing enjoyment overall.
- Show goers can also enjoy making their own hula hoops, increasing creativity and social interaction between fellow fans sharing their creations with one another.

Group blog post- Ranking the authors

We as a group agreed that all the authors and articles were connected in one way or another, and with one can't be without the other, they affect the students on one or more aspects of the points the writers present.  We also mutually agreed on a lot of the points, but with the ranking system we had different authors at difference ranks.
we ranked critical thinking as our number one, because it was one of the most relatable and easiest to understand.
For our second rating, we put the creative arts in because we agreed that students need a good mixture about the arts and also the more mechanical studies such as science and math.
For the third, we decided for mindfulness.
fourth rating: grit
and finally, we put prevention of censorship, because it focused too specifically on a topic.
We did as a group decide however, that each of these topics had very good pros and cons, so it was very difficult to rank these in order.

Ranking the authors suggestions

Ranked in order of importance 1 (most)-5 (least)

1) bell hooks: Teaching Critical Thinking
I agree with bell hooks when she expresses the importance of critical thinking in the classroom.Teaching methods today do not allow for students to fully engage in the process of thinking, thus diminishing their ability to form valid, thoughtful opinions. Children are natural born thinkers. If we could encourage the act of thinking critically throughout school, students would be able to see the world in a different way. They would learn to think in a thoughtful manner by opening their mind to different opinions and ideas. Not just the ideas of their teacher. Her suggestion of practicing engaged pedagogy in class would allow students to think independently and find their own unique voice in the world. it would also create a closer student-teacher relationship.

2) Keith Gilyard: Children, Arts, and Du Bois
In my opinion, it is very important that children are able to express themselves as individuals. Schools that offer creative arts programs allow students to do just that. They are taken out of the overly-structured environment of the classroom, and for just a couple hours, are able to do the things they love. by engaging in art, music, dancing, poetry ect., children are able to define themselves as an individual. If we take these programs away from them, their personal identities in school are drastically limited.

3) Barry Boyce: A Real Education
The idea of teaching mindfulness is appealing because it gives students the opportunity to learn to be aware of their emotions. In addition they are taught to be kind, caring, and empathic. All of which are qualities that are incredibly important, but are not often encouraged by teachers. If students could learn from a young age what it means to be a compassionate and thoughtful person , it could open their world to many opportunities in the future

4) Deb Aronson: Arizona Bans Mexican American Studies Program
This article has a very focused topic about the shut down of the MAS program. While the issue is not one that everyone can relate to, is does convey the idea that by taking away this program, we are discouraging culture, origin, and pride of our race. Instead of teaching students to be proud of who they are, we are teaching them that it is not okay to be different. Also, the issue of taking away books and materials that students can actually relate to is another example of what is wrong with schools today. Students loose interest if they cannot relate to what is being taught.

5) Jerry Large: Gift of Grit
While I do not believe this article was as significant as the rest, I think it was important in its own way. Realistically, The act of building character is important to survive in the world. Sheltering kids from all of the issues in the world will never prepare them for life. However, with proper nurturing and encouragement of Grit, self control, zest, social intelligence, gratitude, optimism, and curiosity, kids will still have an adequate amount of parental support, and also gain the moral characteristics people need to get by in life.

How Gilyard, Boyce, hooks, Large and Aronson support their ideas.

In his article Gift of Grit, Curiosity Help Kids Succeed, Jerry Large explains the importance of parents nurturing certain character traits children need in order to succeed. These traits include: Grit, self control, zest, social intelligence, gratitude, optimism, and curiosity. He supports his ideas by using examples from a book by Paul Tough. Tough uses two different schools as illustrations of why these qualities are important. One School is KIPP Academy, a middle school in a poverty-stricken, ethnic community in the South Bronx. The other is the elite Riverdale Country School. The students at both schools lacked the same qualities which, in different ways, were causing them to fail. While the students at KIPP were overwhelmed with stress inducing conditions in their lives, students at riverside worked hard but were not fundamentally challenged. He ties the importance of character building into the issue by explaining that "a big part of building character is overcoming failure." He explains that too much adversity is bad. But on the other hand, having too little adversity will never allow children to build grit. He further supports his claims by using an example involving rats. He says "Rats whose moms lick and groom them when they are young and feeling stressed do much better in life than those who weren’t comforted in that way." He says the rat study was a step towards proving strong early attachment helps humans overcome a lot of bumps later on.

In A Real Education, Barry Boyce suggests that Mindfulness teaching can help people be aware of their own emotions, and regulate them. He explains that this method of teaching helps students and teachers gain the qualities that are needed to get by in the world. He starts off by asking parents to imagine that their child has successfully completed college and is now searching for a job. But when they go in for their big interview, “they’re flummoxed to find their education didn’t cover the essential skills for this job.” He offers that students could strongly benefit from being taught “mindful” skills such as: how to be in control of their emotions, as well as accurately perceiving other emotions, and by teaching student to be empathetic and listen attentively to others. Boyce supports his ideas by providing examples from Mark Greenberg, the director of the Prevention Research Center For the Promotion of Human Development. Greenberg and Boyce agree that 'kindness, caring, empathy, and being able to de-center from your own point of view and listen deeply to others- are values that should be taught in our classrooms.' He further supports his claims by talking about the many benefits of mindfulness teaching. Boyce explains that it has been known to increase the attention level in the classroom. And with classes being offered to parents, they too can learn how to be aware of their emotions and their child emotions, and also learn compassions skills.  

In her book Teaching Critical Thinking, bell hooks explains the importance of both students and teachers practicing critical thinking in the classroom. She explains that by students and teachers keeping an open mind in the classroom, they would be able to deeply explore questions and issues at all angels, not just one. She supports her suggestion by explain how children are natural born thinkers, but often lose their passion for thinking because educators today aim to teach for conformity and obedience. She explains the benefits of Engaged pedagogy, a teaching method which helps students restore their will to think, and their will to be fully self-actualized. This method fully enables students to be critical thinkers. Further emphasizing the advantages of Engaged pedagogy, hook explains that this method would include mutual participation between teachers and students. Teachers would no longer have all of the answers, but instead work together with the students to explore answers.  She explains that this would create a sense of community in the class room and would forge a meaningful relationship between everyone. She also backs up her reasoning by using passages from essays and books written by various authors who share similar opinions of critical thinking.

Keith Gilyard, author of Children, Arts, and Du Bois, expresses the importance and benefits of offering creative arts programs in public schools. He uses real life example to support his claim. While visiting an elementary school classroom, Gilyard observed the students immense eagerness to demonstrate their endeavors through poetry, lyrics, oral interpretation, song, drawing, story writing, and dance. When he learns the creative arts program is going to be shut down, he explains that without such a program, the student’s true perspectives will possibly be constricted. He also provides emphasis on the issue by quoting W.E.B. Du Bois. De Bois says “A step higher on Mount Parnassus is not only to be calculated in inches of ground covered but even more by the immeasurably broader and more beautiful horizon stretching beyond.”

In her article Arizona Bans Mexican American Studies Program, Deb Aronson discusses the controversial and unfair shut down of the MAS in the Tucson Unified School District. She also talks about the racial and educational issue that arose when the program was removed. She supports her writing by explaining the severity of the political issues at hand. She talks about Dolores Huerta’s speech which she exclaimed “Republicans hate Latinos.” When a rebuttal argument was made by the then superintendant of instruction the students were not allowed to ask questions, carry signs, hold back packs, or display posters. Protests of this issue have led to multiple arrests of students. She explains that many people have tried to meet with school board members, and superintendants to find out exactly why the program was shut down, but have never gotten a reasonable or even slight answer. Further addressing the severity of the shut down, She explains that it has affected the way the students are learning. By taking away the works of Chicano authors, MAS students have nothing to relate too, thus diminishing their passion for learning.

Group Blog Post: Examples of Each authors concerns as it relates to “Chalk”

Amanda Rogers, Erin Lowzowski, Katy Helfrick, Donna Thornell

In The Banking Concept of Education, Polo Freire expresses concern that students in our public school system are suffering from “narration sickness.” One scene that gives a clear example of this issue was when Mr. Lowry was in front of the class, having the students repeat a passage written on the board. The students showed absolutely no interest, and were unengaged in the lesson.

John Gatto explains in his article Against School, that schools are becoming more like prisons.He talks about school breeding childish people. “Our schools” he says, “with their long-term, cell-block-style, forced confinement of both students and teachers- as virtual factories of childishness.” A scene relating to this issue was when Coach Webb chased a student down for being (not even) one second late. She gets angry at his teacher for not punishing him, and tells the teacher she is taking the student to the office.

In Mike Rose’s blog post Resolutions Someone Should Make for 2011 He talks about how we need to stop relying on charter schools, and other expensive options, to provide our students with an exceptional education. In his words, we need to “Stop looking for the structural or technological magic bullet- whether its charter schools or value-added analysis- that will improve education.” In a scene from Chalk, Mr. Stroope was asked by someone from administration, whether he had reached his improvement goals for the year. He talked about how he needed to work on his Sarcasm, cleanliness, organization, and lesson plans. Mr. Stroope said "kids like it on the fly". This shows that if we improve the quality of our teachers, we will not need to rely on expensive private schools any longer.


Lewis Blacks explains in his Education Crisis video that our test scores in America are not high, however, we excel greatly in our confidence level. A scene that provides an example of this concern was when Mr. Stroops pulls Alex out of the classroom and basically tells her to stop being so smart. He admits to her that she probably knows more than him, but not to act like it. She would roll her eyes, and scoff and thing he would say, Proving her self-confidence level was high.

Lewis Black and Mike Rose - Simalarities and Differences

Mike Rose’s blog post “Resolutions on Education” and Lewis Black’s “Education Crisis” video touch on several of the same subjects. They both believe that schools should provide a more challenging education. The issue that arises is that charter schools and other similar options are practically impossible to enroll in. It is an unfair process that does not adequately give students an equal chance. Both Black and Rose express that we should not rely on these types of schools. Black sarcastically states: “Im all for (charter schools)as long as the selection process is as public and cruel as humanly possible.” Mike Rose shares a similar opinion. One of his resolutions is: “To stop looking for the structural or technological magic bullet – whether it’s charter schools or value-added analysis – that will improve education”

Rose and Black are similar in their opinion of only knowledgeable public figures speaking on the topic of education. Lewis black shows a clip of an NBC news anchor saying they are spending a whole week dedicated to education. “A week for education” Black says, “51 weeks for incarceration.” Referring, of course, to the unbearable amount of prison shows that are aired on TV these days. Another clip shows that same news anchor speaking vaguely on how people can help their local schools. He says “If you drive by a public school, even if your kids don’t go there, walk in and ask how you can help.” Rose speaks more bluntly about the subject. He says we need to “ensure that people who actually know a lot about schools will appear on Oprah and will be consulted by politicians and policy makers.”

Black shows his viewers a clip of a newly built, upscale, overly fancy school. This school comes equipped with a “exquisite auditorium”, “ritzy retro café”, and a perfectly manicured public park. They reveal that the cost for this school cost just over half a billion dollars. Black exclaims “I’m pretty sure schools shouldn’t be the nicest building you’ll ever be in.” Like black, Rose speaks of the importance of this issue. His opinion is: “To make do with fewer economists is education.” He reinforces his reasoning by sarcastically saying, “I mean, my Lord, with a few exceptions they did such a terrific job analyzing the financial and housing markets.” He goes on to say that economists are experiencing an “identity crisis”. All the more reason for schools to tone down all the unneeded extras, and focus on the true importance of school; To provide students with an engaging and challenging education.

How "Chalk" illustrated Freire and Gatto's concerns

The movie “Chalk” illustrated many of the concerns both John Gatto and Paolo Freire expressed in their writings. The movie its self is a staged documentary that gives a closer look into the lives of your seemly average high school teachers and faculty.

We meet Mr. Lowrey, a first year history teacher at Harrison high school. He has had absolutely no teaching experience in the past, and therefore, is completely clueless of what it takes to manage a classroom. There is a scene early in the movie where he is having his class read along to a passage written on the chalkboard. The class is obviously unenthused, unmotivated and just plain bored. In John Gattos article Againt School, he mentions the topic of boredom. Referring to when he was a high school teacher, Gatto says: “They said the work was stupid, that it made no sense, that they already knew it. They said they wanted to be doing something real, not just sitting around”. Freier also speaks of this topic. He refers to teachers as “narrators”, and expresses that students are merely just objects of learning. “The contents” Freier says, “whether values or empirical dimensions of reality, tend in the process of being narrated to become lifeless and petrified. Education is suffering from narration sickness.” Students in Mr. Lowrey’s classroom were suffering from the same “narration sickness” Freire was speaking of.

Throughout the movie we see teachers desperately trying to be these power-tripping authority figures. In one scene, a student is running into math class just as the bell had stopped ringing. Ms. Webb, the gym coach, caught the student running into class, and then confronted his teacher on the fact that she did not punish him for being (only a few seconds) late. She ends up telling his teacher she is forcing the student to go to the office. This is an example how public schools are becoming more like jails than learning environments. John Gatto stated in his article “I had more than enough reason to think of our schools - with their long-term, cell-block-style, forced confinement of both students and teachers - as virtual factories of childishness.” I believe Gatto was explaining that with schools today being overly-strict, prison-type environments, where students are getting in trouble for every little thing- How can they ever possibly get ahead in life?

In a significant scene, Mr. Stroope, a teacher who is passionate, yet not completely adequate at teaching, confronts a student who has been using big words in class. “You use some big words I don’t understand” he told the student. He continues.. “Use words I can understand, try not to be as smart as me.” This scene was rather humorous to watch. But it was also an example of what Gatto was trying to convey when he quoted H.L. Mencken. “The aim (of public education)..is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality.” Similarly, Freire states “The teacher knows everything, and the students know nothing.” Encouraging students to be incompetent seems to be part of the virtual plan of public schooling. A scary, and depressing thought.

Mr. Lowery, Having had no teaching experience, floats through class time teaching the curriculum without any creativity. He does not provide the students with exciting or encouraging lessons. In one scene, he has a confrontation with a student over a cellphone. The student storms out and says “You’re a horrible teacher.” Mr. Lowery fires back by shouting “You would know, you’re a horrible student!” In school, the students attitude, and eagerness to learn is a reflection on the teacher. In The Banking Concept of Education, Freire says “The teacher confuses the authority of knowledge with his or her own professional authority, which she and he sets in opposition to the freedom of the students.” He goes onto talk about how it is the teacher’s job to regulate the way the students see and learn about the world. If we have teachers that are not confident and barley knowledgeable of their subject; and are always arguing with their class- of course students will not take them, or the work seriously. Gatto suggests in his article that a good policy in school would not be to regulate students to the point of ridiculousness, but rather to "encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight - simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids to truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then."

The purpose of high school, and what I would like changed

Before starting this unit, I had thought about the significance of high school. But I have never analyzed its purpose. I would like to believe that high school is where students go to find their true abilities, intelligence, passion, and confidence. However, after reading John Gatto’s and Paolo Freire’s articles about the public education system, I am realizing more and more that today’s schooling system is corrupt. I believe high school has become a place where students are not taught to prosper as an individual, but rather to ride through the monotonous, robotic, repetitive sequence that is high school- to be shaped into this being who gains hardly any significant life skills or knowledge. I suppose the big question is why? Why would anybody want to discourage a person from showing their true intelligence? The more I think about it, I do not think the schooling system its self is trying to stop students from being completely inadequate. I think the problem is that schools are just playing it too safe. Almost as if they are scared of the students becoming too powerful. They teach student the bare minimum amount of seemingly unimportant contents. Just enough so that the students can, sort of (at best) float through the rest of their life.

With all of that said, what I would like to see changed in the public school system is the lack of encouragement, resources, and guidance the students need to become truly adequate human beings. Not just adequate in the work force, but to actually become better and more informed observers of life. Teachers need to stop the boring curriculum and really pay attention to each student’s individual learning styles and talents. This would stop the current process of making students into virtually the same person. In a future generation, we could have endless possibilities if everyone could contribute to the world what they are genuinely passionate about. Not just what they are taught to be passionate about.

"Chalk" movie notes

"Chalk" notes

•  Harrison high school
• man explains regardless of salary and other down points..teachers never quit teaching
• 50 percent of teachers quit in the first three years of teaching
•  Mr. Stroope - teacher
• used humor to make kids laugh
• coach Webb, gym teacher
• Mr Lowery-history teacher tell students they always need to be prepared by bringing paper
• mr stroop uses authority to take girls photo album away
• shows Mr lowrey history teacher boring the hell out of the students. Has them read along. kids are terribly unmotivated
• Principal compares being in administration to when he was in the navy
• student asks how long Mr Lowery has been teaching. He says he just came from computer engineering. Has never taught.
• Mr Lowery hesitated to admit he has never taught
• shows teaching sitting around eating lunch
• Ms Redell- assistant principal
• Mr stroope wants to win teacher of the year- cheesy smile
• Ms Webb "you depend on other people to help you with your job"
• mr stroope's "improvement goals" from last year are: Sarcasm (defense mech.) cleanliness, organization, lesson plan "kids like it on the fly"
• Shows students fighting, teachers intervene (ms redell)
• Ms. webb talks about people thinking shes gay. Explains that she is not
• Mr Stroope - "you dont want to have a friendship, you want to have a relationship." Wants to let students know from the begining they can trust him
• Shows mr lowrey not in control of his class, arguing with students. 
•  Mr lowrey is not confident in the classroom
• "when you are in this classroom, show eachother a little respect" - mr lowrey
• Mrs. Redell talking about getting home late several times. effecting her personal life
• shows teachers sitting around in teachers lounge..Mr Lowrey seems out of place
• Mrs webb sees student run into class barley a second late, she gets upset with teacher for letting him in.
• Students took mr lowreys chalk, laughing
• students do not take him seriously
• Mr lowrey walks out of classroom.
• Mrs webb teaching kids dance for gym class, talks about how students will be what you think they are.
• Mr. Lowrey looks at "classroom managment" books
• "you use some big words I dont understand" "use words i can understand"- Mr stroope to student (will)
• "Try not to know as much as me" - Mr Stroope
• Mr Lowery talks about how he is trying to use more humor. 
• Ms Webb says she is interested in someone
• Mr Stroope trying to be authoritative over teachers. tells them to stop taking paper, staplers, petty cash
• Ms Webb think she is pushy
• Mr Stroope pretends to call wills parents as a threat
• Mrs redell catches Mr. Lowery sleeping in his office
• Mr Lowery says he has been divorced for two years. "teaching is hard enough, its taking all of my life."
• "six out of 10 kids walk away with a college education." "you practice, you aim, and you just let it fly. sometimes you get it." - Mr Stroope
• Mr Lowery trys to take kids phone, Student does not give it up. does not take teacher seriously
• Kicks student out of class "this is bulshit" -student
• "You're a horrible teacher"
  "well you would know because you're a horrible student!"
• Mr lowrey smoking a cigarette, obviously stressed, unhappy
• Teachers having drinks together. Mr Lowrey opening up to other teachers
• Teachers gossiping about bad/rude/crazy students
• Mr stroope is one of the two teachers picked for teacher of the year
• "doing all those extras to get your face out there" - Mr Stroope
• "he doesn't respect me, but he has to act like he does" Mr Lowery about student
• Mr L talking to students  (with phone). mother 
• Mother of kid offers Mr L a glass of wine. She says he is too fidgety and looks down a lot
• "You have to ask for what you want." - mother of student
• Mrs Webb confronts Mrs Redell on the issue of students coming to class late. The two are arguing about it
• "The hardest thing is teachers complaining about other teacher "I am in a position of pwer, they are trying to manipulate that" - Mrs. Redell
• Mr stroope in taacher of the year debate, passionate
• "I work hard, I show up, and I do it everyday." - Mr Stroope
• Mr stroope did not win teacher of the year. He is obviously disappointed
• He freaks out at a students, kicks a desk over
• Mr redell says he happiest days are when she can be in the classroom with the students
• "I realize now its the kids who do care, and that really matter to me."
• She misses teaching
• Mr lowry is going to participate in the spelling hornet, students are coaching him
• Mr lowrey wins! He is happy
• Student freestyle rapping in mr Lowery class, he lets them
• Mr Lowery raps. bonds with students, laughing having fun
• "if i come back, i would probably get up the actual year a little bit different." - Mr L
• Teacher encouraging Mr Lowery to come back and teah next year. "youve come a long way"
• He expresses that he doesn't like teaching that much. Hasn't found his groove.
• teachers talking about what they learned this year. They learn a lot about themselves
• mr Lowery- "being a teacher is a gift. Maybe it is something you can learn, but nobody has taught me."
• good teaching styles are critical to students learning
• Teachers are more effective when the authority level is not so high
• Humor is good and creates a relaxing, fun environment
• Teachers are unsure, too. Most of the time they don't like to admit it.
• Good teacher student relationships are important

Writing Simplified and Paper #3

Pages 34-37 in Writing Simplified” provide detailed tips on how to successfully write different styles of essays and paragraphs such as classification, compare and/or contrast, cause and or effect, and argumentative. For our third paper, we are asked to write a persuasive essay and validly argue our points and opinions. Section 51 talks about the key components of an argumentative paper. It emphasizes that a good paper should have an arguable topic, not a fact. Our papers will be based on our personal opinion of what needs to be changed in the K-12 school system, which on its own, is an arguable topic. It also talks about having a strong, “to the point” thesis statement, and supportive evidence to back up your reasoning.

Since we will be writing an argumentative/persuasive paper, we can compare and contrast certain aspects of our opinion to further prove and explain our point. Like we did for our second paper, WS suggests that you make sure you give enough information, and explain your ideas thoroughly and clearly. Providing facts, statistics, and detailed examples will give the reader a clear understanding of what you are saying, and will persuade them to seriously consider your ideas.

I believe a significant addition to our next assignment will be adding causes and effects. A topic such as the one we are writing about would seriously benefit from the writer critically analyzing why and how the K-12 school system needs to change. WS says the most important thing to remember is sticking to the obvious causes and effects, and not branching out to far off topic.  

What Gatto and Freire would agree on

      Both John Gatto and Paolo Freire would agree that the public school system is not built to teach children to become an individual, but rather to become part of the mass production of robot-like citizens who are seemingly brainwashed into thinking they must be a certain way in order to be successful. In his article “Against School”, John Gatto mentions that America’s public school system is really adopted from Prussia. “What shocks,” Gatto says, “is that we should so eagerly have adopted one of the very worst aspects of Prussian culture: an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens - all in order to render the populace "manageable."” He talks about how our youth are bred to become a “servile labor force” and a “virtual heard of mindless consumers.” Like Gatto, Freire expresses similar concerns. In “The banking concept of education”, Freire describes students as “containers” and teachers as “narrators.” He talks about how students are trained to receive, memorize, and repeat without ever understanding the true significance of what is being taught. Freire states, “Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor.” He deems this banking concept problematic as is does not allow men to have the opportunity to truly become human. “It is men themselves,” Freire says, “who are filed away through the lack of creativity, transformation, and knowledge in this (at best) misguided system.” He explains that the beneficiaries of the banking concept are the oppressors, who in Freire’s words, “care neither to have the world revealed, nor to see it transform.” This compliments Gatto’s claim that we are trained to hide our personal talents, abilities, and intelligence because “we haven’t yet figured out how to manage a population of educated men and women.”

      Freire and Gatto would also agree that because of this monotonous schooling system, students have become bored, uninterested, and terribly unenthused. Gatto addresses this matter right away in his article. As a retired school teacher, he recalls boredom being everywhere in his world. The students would express the fact they that the work was stupid and that it made no sense. “They said they wanted to be doing something real, not just sitting around.” Gatto says. He explains that the educators were struggling just as hard as the student to find any motivation.  “The teachers were every bit as bored as they were” he says. Freire’s writing relates to this topic as he talks about the contents of the teachers narration being lifeless and petrified. He bluntly states, “Education is suffering from narration sickness.” He explains that teacher’s today are simply “filling” the students with information that is unimportant or “alien to the existential experience of the students.” He says that by teaching this way, we are depriving the students of critical knowledge that would be of more significance to them in their lifetime. Freire’s suggested solution to this problem is to create an education system that utilizes “problem-posing education.” This would basically mean the teachers authority is no longer effective towards the students, thus the students and teacher would be on the same level, be able to work together, and have an equal relationship. Freire says: “In order to function, authority must be on the side of freedom, not against it.” Gatto states a similar opinion when he says “The solution, I think, is simple and glorious. Let them manage themselves.”

The Incredible Converstion Video & "The Banking Concept of Education"

In the "The Banking Concept of Education" by Paolo Freire, he describes the importance of teachers encouraging students to explore different questions or curiosities that they might have. The idea of not teaching robotically and allowing the room for conformity of your teaching methods. In the video "An Incredible Conversation" Paolo Freire underlines the everlasting curiosity of human nature that he all have. He describes his own curiosity, and how as an old man of 75 he is still just as curious as when he was a boy. It is the 'job' of the students to be curious, it is their right. "In changing I did not change nevertheless" ....."some of the central nucleus of my thought stayed the same", in this he describes, using himself as an example in how teachers can go different directions with learning, by experimenting with methods, but still stay in the main track when working towards their goal. He mentions as well the importance of critical thinking among both teachers and students. This related to our reading, because he describes the entwined relationship between student and teacher, and how instead of the teacher being the main 'subject' the student, and teacher are the main subject of learning.

My high school experience Vs. Gatto's claims

In John Gattos essay “Against School: How public education cripples our kids, and why.” His negative opinion about the public school system is boldly apparent. He describes public schools as “virtual factories of childishness,” and compares school to a prison like environment. Unfortunately, this is all too accurate. The two years I spent in public high school was similar to what Gattos describes in his essay. Boredom and a feeling of being trapped was part of the everyday reality of sitting in a classroom. I was not enthused, therefore I started to fall behind, and therefore I felt like the teachers had given up on me, therefore I started to fall even further behind. I agree with Gatto when he talks about schools shaping children into virtually, the same person. I fell off the conveyer belt of the public school system, and in result I could not be what the teachers and faculty wanted me to be. Because of this, I started to believe that I wasn’t as smart or capable as the rest of my peers. I started to desperately lack faith in myself. In my junior year of high school, I started to attend a private school wherein students had more freedom to learn about the things they truly enjoyed. This was great because I was surrounded by people who were actually eager and excited to learn. I was able to make learning exciting for myself, while at the same time learn valuable life skills such as time management, and self-motivation. I am glad I had the opportunity to experience the best and worst of high school. I can easily see where Gatto’s opinion of the public school system stems. Boredom of students and teachers, repetitiveness, and unoriginality is the common factor among most public high schools. “The solution, I think, is simple and genius.” Gatto says, “Let them manage themselves.”