Oakes

Premise:

-student abilities
-teaching methods
-classroom atmosphere
-opportunities
-learning speeds
-grouping
-skills
-curriculum

Author's Argument:

Oakes argues that children are placed into "lower level" classrooms at an age that is too young to truely show the childs ability. Also she argues that children in "lower level" classrooms do not get equal treatment and education as those in "higher level" classrooms.

Evidence:

-"In low-ability classes, for example, teachers seem to be less encouraging and more punitive, placing more emphasis on discipline and behavior and less on academic learning"
-“No wonder we find a “rich get richer and poor get poorer” pattern of outcomes from tracking.”
-"Sterotyped as "less-able" and have fewer opportunities to learn."
-"Obviously, the kinds of changes likely to promote high quality learning for all students in heterogenous classrooms go far beyond mere fine tuning of current practice. These changes also require fundamental changes in the structure of schooling and teachers work."

Comments:

I really enjoyed this article, it was an easy read and easy to understand. The idea of the article was also great. It really brought attention to the needs ALL children have in the classroom and how they ALL need to be treated equally. All of the labeling teachers and school put on children only put a disadvantage on the children and do not let them perform to their best abilities. We assume to much. I see this in my VIPS classroom, there are children who leave to go see a resource teacher everyday. Lately the resource teacher has been absent, my techer does not take his very well. She says things lie "they are so hard to handle and they hold the rest of the class back because of all the attention and time they need". Also she talks about how desperatly they need that other teacher to help them, but instead of teaching "them" and helping "the students who need more help", she puts them on the computers with head phones on. This leads to them missing the lesson and actually placing "them" furthur behind the class, not because they could not to the work but because unfortunatly these kids where not even given a chance to learn it. I think this was a wonderful acticle and pointed out a crucial (spelling :/) point for all teacher to consider, including special education teachers.

Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

Premise:

-charity
-community service
-volunteering
-experiences
-learning
-politics
-morals

Author's Argument:

The author's argue that service learning should become part of all school chriteria because it build character and help the community.

Evidence:

-"In addition to helping those they serve, such service learning activities seek to promite students' self-esteem, to develop higher-order thinking skills, to make use of multiple abilities, and to provide authentic learning experiences"
-"However, there are numerous ways in which a curriculum focused on giving provides opportunities for students to develop caring relationships, especially when compared to a traditional academic curruculum."
-"Efforts to integrate service learning activities into the curriculum have great potential and deserve the support they are now receiving."
-“They stress the importance of compassion for those in need, and they encourage children and young adults to find ways to help.”

Comments:

This article was a little more difficult to read than I exspected but once i got through the introduction it got easier to understand what the author's where trying to get through. Also this article brought up a really good point that servise learning should become more manditory in school systems. This would be a wonderful help to communities in need and also give students great opportunities to discover things they would have never imagined they would have enjoyed.

Christensen

Premise:

-stereotypes
-children books/ movies
-media
-gender
-racism
-minorities
-myths
-inequalities
-learning lifestyle
-change
-hidden message/ secret meaning

Authors argument:

Christensen argues that the media greatly impacts and effects the minds of children and what they see and learn from the media change how children view others. He feels similar to how Carlson felt along the lines that he thinks we need to change how the media portrays people but it might not be very realistic at times.

Evidence:

- "Our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live, and dream." this quote is a great quote to see what Christensen is trying to get through from this piece. It demonstrates how much he feels the media impacts our children and their outlook on the world.
-"Although these stories are supposed to merely entertain us, they constantly give us a secret education.”
-"But I want students to understand that if the race of the character is the only thing changing, injustices may still remain."

Comments:

As both a child and now as a teenager, i have ALWAYS! loved DISNEY movies and TV shows. This makes it very difficult to fully agree with what Christensen. There is so much i think she is looking to deeply into, also she keeps making exceptions for the princess and characers in TV shows tht arent white like saying "...I show a Popey cartoon, "Ali Baba and the 40 Theives," that depicts all Arabs with the same face, same turban, same body,--and they are all thieves swinging enormous swords." She is making an exception to the fact that there is a Arab Disney Princess. There is also Pocohontis, Mulan, Jasmin, Ariel, SnowWhite, Arorah, Bell, Cinderella just to name a few, and they al have different traits like poor white girls and rich arabian girls that all have a different meaning behind the story. But i do agree that the media does afftect the way that children percive the world and demonstrate the culture of power.